2222 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



but after using fresh bait, and changing again to salt, we would not do 

 so well. 



Q. You say a vessel would prefer fresh bait to salt ? A. Of course, 

 where it is generally used, but when I went and we used salt bait alto- 

 gether I didn't see any difference. 



Q. But supposing they have an opportunity to fish with fresh bait, 

 will the fish prefer that bait to the salt ? A. "l never used enough to 

 make a fair statement. 



Q. You have told me that when you were fishing with fresh bait and 

 used salt bait again they would not take as well. You were speaking of 

 the very voyage when you had both. You told me that when you had been 

 using fresh bait you could not catch any with salt ; is that correct. Do 

 you adhere to that statement ? A. Yes ; I do. 



Q. Then the fish, in your experience, prefer fresh to the salt bait ; 

 they would not take the salt when they could get fresh ? A. I would 

 not say so in all cases. 



Q. That is in your experience ? A. My experience is very limited. 



Q. Why do you object to answer ? A. I have no objection to answer. 

 It does not interest me at all. When we had a little fresh bait and used 

 it we caught a little more fish, and when we turned again to salt bait 

 they would not take it quite as well. 



Q. How long does one of those mackerel vessels last ; would 20 years 

 be considered a longperiod ? A. It would. We generally calculate that 

 at ten years she is getting along. 



Q. Do'n't you know there are mackerel fishers in the gulf and have 

 been that are twenty years old ? A. I don't doubt it in the least. 



Q. Many of them ? A. I don't think so. They are few and far be- 

 tween. They cannot get crews. 



Q. Ten years would not be considered old ? A. When she is ten years 

 she is called an old vessel. Still they use them, of course. 



Q. Up to 15 or 20 years? A. Probably there are vessels from Glou- 

 cester 15 years old, but very few of them. I could not enumerate them,, 

 because I do not keep a list. 



Q. What did you do with the Hiram Powers after she had been eight 

 years fishing ? A. I sold her to the firm for $4,800. 



Q. What did she cost new ? A. Somewhere about 84,000. 



Q. You sold her for that when she was eight years old ? A. Yes. 



Q. Her age did not seem to depreciate her value much. What did you 

 do with the Hattie M. Story after she had been fishing from 1867 to 

 1874 ? A. I sold her for $41500. She cost me 88,800. 



Q. What was the reason for her depreciating so much ? A. Ship- 

 ping cost $65 a ton when she was built, and only $43 a ton when she 

 was sold. 



Q. Was it because she got old that she sold for so much less ? Wasn't 

 she considered almost as good as new when you sold her ? A. Well r 

 she was in a good condition. The difference was not in the age of the 

 vessel it was in the rise and depreciation of the property. 



Q. We perfectly agree that a vessel eight years old is about as good 

 as one newly built. Your evidence is that ? A. She was just as good 

 in the rise of property, not in the value of the vessel. 



Q. You said it was not because she was any worse. A moment ago 

 you wished me to understand that the Hiram Powers was not much 

 worse when you sold her than when she was built. Is a fishing-vessel 

 much worse at the end of eight years than when she is built ? A. Of 

 course. She was eight years old, and when a vessel is eight years old 

 she does not command the same price as a new vessel. The price I got 



