2554 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



or from information derived from others, I would like to know what was 

 the effect upon the provincial fishing interests of the termination of the 

 Reciprocity Treaty, that is the irnpostion of the duty in 1866. A. I 

 have no means of actual knowledge except that 1 have conversed with 

 people acquainted with the matter, the merchants of Canso ; the people 

 I have been intimately acquainted with in this way have said it was 

 very disastrous to their business. That is all. I had no personal knowl- 

 edge. 



Q. During the continuance of the Eeciprocity Treaty were there a 

 good many fishing vessels from the provinces engaged in the fishing 

 business ? A. The last year of my fishing in these waters there was 

 quite a large fleet from the West Shore, Chester, Luuenburg, and from 

 that down. They built up a very fine fleet of vessels. 



Q. Did they continue in the fishing business after Reciprocity? A. 

 I have no personal knowledge only of some that told me this. They 

 told me their business had very much run down. That is all the knowl- 

 edge I have of it. 



Q. What effect, in your judgment, would the reirnposition of similar 

 duties have upon the provincial fisheries ? A. I think the effect would 

 be the decline of these fisheries if there was a duty put upon them. 



Q. Then if they ceased to send their fish to the United States, or sent 

 them in less quantities, how would the difference in the quantity of fish 

 be made up ? A. Well, I think it would naturally stimulate our own 

 production. I suppose that would be the tendency. 



Q. The operation of the duty, in your judgment, would be to effect a 

 transfer of the business from the Dominion to the United States ? A. 

 I think it would stimulate the business to a greater amount. 



Q. What branch of fishing is the chief industry of Gloucester ? A. 

 The cod fishery. 



Q. What is the proportion, in your judgment, without statistics, of 

 the cod fishery to the mackerel fishery ? A. Well, I can answer for 

 myself. W T ithin the last few years we, as curers of fish, cured about 

 from 18,000 to 20,000 quintals of codfish in the season. We packed from 

 3,000 to 6,000 barrels of mackerel. 



Q. Well, give the proportion of your own business. How much of 

 that is codfish, and how much is mackerel I You have given it in quin- 

 tals, give it in fractions. Is the cod fishing twice or three times as 

 great ? A. About $ 100,000 for the codfisherv, and, well, about one-third 

 as much for the mackerel fishery. Then we have other branches ; our 

 fresh-halibut fishing. 



Q. You are engaged in that fresh-halibut fishing? A. Yes. 



Q. What do you do with the fresh halibut! A. We sell them to the 

 merchants, and they distribute them over the country. 



Q. W T here are they caught? A. Most of them catch them on the edge 

 of the Banks in about 200 fathoms, where it falls off towards the Gulf 

 Stream. 



Q. How near shore to any place have you known of the halibut being 

 fished ! A. 150 miles may be the nearest point. 



Q. These are Banks, but haven't you known it to be done, or attempted, 

 near shore! A. I have. 



Q. Where have you known them ? A. On the Labrador coast they 

 have caught them large near the shore. I have known them catch them 

 in 30 miles or 25 miles, around Cape Sable. I fished there quite a num- 

 ber of years around Seal Island and Brown's Bank. 



Q. How near land there did you ever fish ! A. I have fished in sight 

 of land. I could see it. 



