AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2671 



Q. You have said that Mr. Steele never did any seining on the Amer- 

 ican shore ? A. I don't think he ever did. 



Q. Seining has come into general vogue, has it not ? A. Yes. 



Mr. DAVIES. The years I took were the years of the Reciprocity Treaty 

 when there was no seining. 



By Mr. Dana : 



Q. As to insurance. Those merchants of Gloucester who own vessels- 

 fo^rin a company ; that is really a sort of annual company ? A. A com- 

 pany formed every year. 



Q. It closes up every year f A. Yes. 



Q. The day it expires is 1st November ? A. They have now organ- 

 ized it to continue the year round. 



Q. But there is a new company once a year f A. Yes. 



Q. All matters are closed up each year ? A. Yes. 



Q. If the vessel do not return by a certain date a sum is placed in the 

 suspense account ? A. Yes. 



Q. They don't actually pay premiums and receive dividends f A. Ho. 



Q. They give their notes, and at the end of the year there is an as- 

 sessment ! A. They are assessed from time to time. 



Q. And at the end of the year, if necessary, there is an assessment f 

 A. There is a final assessment. 



Q. There is no dividend paid ? A. No. 



Q. The crew have nothing to do with insurances t A. No. 



Q. Do you know how the owner is able to assign to each vessel the 

 amount it ought to pay ? A. Each vessel is charged with the amount 

 for insurance paid out during the year to the company. 



Q. It is divided among different owners ? A. Each vessel is put in at 

 a certain valuation, according to her age ; the insurance amounts to so 

 much, and each owner is charged with the insurance on that vessel. 



Q. They don't actually pay out that insurance, do they 1 A. Yes ; if 

 it is not paid out in one season it is in another. They give their notes,, 

 and when there is an assessment on the insurance they pay the amount. 



Q. They are not charged on an ordinary note ? A. They give a pre- 

 mium note. 



By Mr. Davies : 



Q. If there is no assessment made, the premium note, I suppose, is re- 

 turned to him ? A. I presume so. 



Q. You have stated that the average age of fishing- vessels sailing out 

 of Gloucester is fourteen years ? A. Yes. 



Q. Some of the vessels are, I suppose, twenty-five years old ! A. 

 Yes ; some more than that. 



Q. One nearly forty years old ? A. Yes. 



Q. I see by this book that 22 vessels were built in 1876 ! A. Yes. 



Q. 38 in 1875 ; 22 in 1874 ; 12 in 1873 ; 13 in 1872 ; 24 in 1860 ; 24 in 

 1859 ; 18 in 1858 ; 90 vessels were built previous to 1858, and would be 

 be from 19 years old to 40 years ? A. Yes. 



Q. In regard to packing; in the statement you made up of Mr. 

 Steele's vessels you told me you took the prices of his mackerel from 

 the books ? A. Yes. 



Q. This statement you made up representing the voyages of 107 of 

 Mr. Steele's vessels does not include packing ? A. No. 



Q. You were asked a question about Mr. Steele's capital, and you 

 said about one-half had been made by him in the sail-making business, 

 and the other half since. Do you really know as a matter of fact what 

 Mr. Steele's capital is ? A. I do not. 



