AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2127 



the business? A. I can tell you if necessary; it was onetbinf d- 

 mestic. 



Q. Yon said that the duty on mackerel might enhance the price, mi 

 afterwards qualified the statement by doubting that import"! m.i.-l.-r,-: 

 would hurt the price. Supposing one-half the mackerel conumrd in 

 the United States was imported mackerel, would not tbat aerioanlr af 

 feet the price ? A. Yes. 



Q. Very materially ? A. Yes. 



Q. Suppose one-fourth of the consumption was imports), would not 

 that materially affect the price ? A. Very slightly. 1 don't think a 

 great deal. 



Q. You think that one-fourth of a given quantity of food consumed in 

 a country being imported does not affect the price t A. It might 

 slightly. 



Q. Does not the law of supply and demand govern that matter as well 

 as others? A. I wish to say a word. The business of finding ban 

 changed very much in the last 25 years in the United States. A lane 

 portion of mackerel caught in United States waters are eaten (real), 

 without being salted or cured. That fresh mackerel has taken tbe place 

 of salt mackerel to that extent, and it is the same in regard to rudiUh. 

 We used to supply tbe western part of the State of New Vork with nail 

 mackerel, but they have now fresh eight mouths out of the year, and 

 the people there want very little salt mackerel. 



Q. Does it not necessarily follow that the large quantities of mack- 

 erel taken on yjur shores and salt'd must fall in price fresh fish having 

 taken their place ? A. There is not such a demand unless fresh mack- 

 erel are scarce. 



Q. The price of your salted fish, if your theory is correct, must f 

 down? A. I think it has some. 



' Q. Does your theory and practice accord ? Has the price of salted 

 mackerel gone down? Can you tell the price to day and say wbetb?r it 

 ever was as high ? A. I have got $28 a barrel for mackerel. 



Q. What is now the price? A. I don't know. 



Q. You cannot tell whether it is high or low T- -A. I 

 heard that Captain Bradley, of the Miantonoma, got I 

 his mackerel, No. 1 and No/ 2. That was within the last three weeki 



Q. Is not that a high price ? A. Very high. 



Q. Your statement of fact is to a certain extent correct, b 

 correct that fresh fish have taken the place of salt Bsh, bov 

 those salt mackerel brought such a high price ! A. Beoaoi 

 not any. 



Q. Does not the price depend on the supply f- 

 any caught before that time. Look at the prices a 



Q. Does not a scarcity enhance the price of mack 



Q. If 250,000 barrels of mackerel are required for consumption in t! 

 United States yearly, and 50,000 barrels were shut off by re* 

 or other causes, would not the price of the 1>1H),IMH) barrels 

 go up ? A. That would depend whether we bad hemng pk 

 not. There is a good deal to look at. 



Q. I can quite understand that if the people have t 

 a certain quantity of food, and can supply themselves 

 they will procure cheaper food ? A. Just so. 



Q. Suppose 250,000 barrels of mackerel are consu 

 go and buy 100,000 barrels and lock them ,,p, will 

 other 150,000 advance?- A. That would be 



