AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. , 2647 



mouth ; you have made up this statement, I presume, to show, or to at- 

 tempt to show, the actual result in connection with fishing-vessels, but 

 is it the practice among the merchants who own vessels to charter them 

 out to others ? A. No. 



Q. Then this theory has no basis of fact to rest on ? A. There are 

 [HTsons in Gloucester who sometimes charter vessels to go fishing. 



Q. But this is not the custom ? A. No. 



Q. Then of course it would be pretty difficult to arrive at a sum which 

 it would be fair compensation to pay for a vessel ; the merchants prefer 

 to run their vessels themselves 1 ? A. Yes; they generally do so. 



Q. I suppose that there is not much insurance effected on charters in 

 Gloucester? A. No. 



Q. Did you ever know any insurance to be effected on the charter of 

 a vessel fishing in the gulf ?-^-A. I do not know of anything of the sort, 

 but it is a customary charge on the charterer. 



Q. Is all the skipper's commission out of the net stock ($355,000) 

 charged against the owner ? A. Yes. 



Q. The cr*ew do not pay any part of it ? A. No. 



Q. Is it 4 per cent, or 3 per cent, that is thus paid ? A. It is 4 per 

 cent. 



Q. The master does pretty well, then ? A. O, yes. 



Q. What do you think would be the profit on the packing out of 33,645 

 barrels of mackerel ? A. It would be 30 or 50 cents per barrel. 



Q. Taking 50 cents, that would make a profit of $10,825? A. Fifty 

 cents is too high a figure. 



Q. What would be the result? A. When. I said that, I referred to the 

 prices which ruled during the war, when they got 50 cents. 



Q. Will you add up the different charges; I make them amount to 

 $27,826; is that correct? A. How mauv items have you? 



Q. There is $8,500? A. That was reduced to $6,200. 



Q. How? A. You reduced it, and you told me to set it at $6,200. 



Q. You calculated the rate at 10 per cent, of $8,500 odd, and I took 

 your own figures, leaving $8,500; then there is $2,300 for profit on salt? 

 A. I did not say that; in round numbers the figures would be $1,750. 



Q. Then, from the bait-mill item you take off one-quarter, which 

 amounts to $402 ? A. Yes. 



Q. And the profit on packing is $16,825; add these items together. 

 A. That makes $17,081. 



Q. I make it $27,000. Your sum shows a loss of $44,715, and deduct- 

 ing this from $-27,800, what have you left; do the sum, as in the other 

 case, and tell me what profit is made on the whole transaction. A. It 

 is $9,223. 



Q. Taking the whole transaction, what profit is made instead of the 

 awful loss you previously made out ? A. It is $9,233. 



Q. And that is after the insurance companies have been paid ; this is 

 for one season, mind. A. Yes; it is on 107 vessels. 



Q. That is after the owner has received 7 per cent, for his money; 

 after a depreciation of 829,000 has been considered ; after the taxes have 

 been paid ; and after insurance has been obtained upon the capital 

 invested in these vessels and upon the charter and outfits; and there 

 has been not one cent of the risk incurred while 7 per cent, has been 

 paid on the capital employed besides, and still you have this profit ? 

 A. There is $75 for each vessel. 



Q. I wanted to show this sum could be worked out differently with 

 your own figures ; this $9,000 profit is more consistent with the facts ; 

 I think your figures are a little astray. A. I am not satisfied about it. 



