2240 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. Do they not in Boston sometimes put on a stencil mark, "Bay," or 

 "Shore"! A. Yes. 



Q. That is no part of the inspector's duty ? A. No. 



Q. It is nothing that the law requires to be done officially ? A. No. 



Q. It is done for the purpose of informing buyers whether it is bay or 

 shore ? A. It is done in nearly all cases where it is shipped. 



Q. Shipped from the wharf? A. Yes. 



Q. Then all over the country those two kinds of mackerel are known ? 

 A. Yes. They are known by the stencil plates. I think it is the uni- 

 vessel practice to put on "Shore" and "Bay," to whichever they belong. 



Q. Can a person accustomed to mackerel easily tell by looking at 

 mackerel whether they come from the bay or shore ? A. I think they 

 can after they have culled a trip from each place during the year. 



Q. A person who has culled or inspected them can do so 1 A. Yes ; 

 after they have packed a single lot from each place. The mackerel that 

 come in from the'bay and from shore are of different character every 

 year in each case. So it is necessary for the inspector to see a trip from 

 each place, and he can afterwards decide. 



Q. Is there any practice by which the captain is allowed to sell the 

 choice of berths among the crew I A. Personally 1 never heard of it. 

 The choice I understand is by lot. I have usually heard it spoken of as 

 drawing for berths. 



Q. Something was said about people packing all their own mackerel. 

 Is a sharesman obliged to have the owner of the vessel pack out his 

 mackerel, and is he liable to be cheated about it? Explain. A. When 

 the vessel is at the wharf the crew's duty is to throw the mackerel from 

 the barrels into the kid, from which they are sorted. One of the crew 

 stands at one side of the tub to see there is fair weight, and the owner 

 appoints a man who stands on the other side and sees there is a fair 

 thing, and if there is any dissatisfaction the crew generally speak about 

 it and ask if it is a fair cull. It is a mere matter of opinion, for the in- 

 spector culls the mackerel to the best of his judgment and according to 

 law. 



Q. Now. about the price charged for packing and inspection ; is it 

 always 82? A. No; only during those high years. It is $1.75 this 

 year. 



Q. It varies with the price of barrels ? A. With the cost of packing. 



Q. You said there was a clear profit of 50 cents a barrel on the pack- 

 ing ? A. I thought there was at the time. I was speaking of the Bat- 

 tler. 



Q. Will you state what, in your judgment, is the usual profit on the 

 packing of mackerel ? A. I should say from 30 cents to 40 cents a 

 barrel. 



Q. What does the packer have to furnish ; what capital has he to 

 invest in the business ? A. He has to furnish a wharf on which to 

 pack the mackerel. 



Q. And you gave us the items of barrels, salt, and labor ? A. Yes ; 

 they are included in the $2. 



Q. What else ? A. Scales and all the materials with which to pack 

 them. 



Q. Does he get any payment for the wharf? A. No. 



Q. All those items come in the price of packing, which now is $1.75 

 per barrel ? A. Yes ; and a wharf costs quite a sum at Gloucester. 



Q. What becomes of the sea barrels ? A. When we fit a vessel we 

 furnish barrels. They belong to the owner, and are not charged to any 



