AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2 705 



vessels on Grand Manan Banks are filled with fishermen from Campo- 

 bello and Deer Island. 



Q. Do I understand you to say that the majority of the crews are 

 British or Americans of the vessels which come down 1 A. At East- 

 port the majority of them are British subjects, fishermen from Campo- 

 bello and Deer Island. 



Q. Those are they who man the vessels ? A. Eastport vessels which 

 go to the Banks. 



Q. I am speaking of the vessels which come in the spring for bait ? 

 A. I don't think the majority are. 



Q. Though the majority are not English, the minority can control and 

 make them buy of the British and not Americans. How do you account 

 for that? A. I account for it in this way, that those who are engaged 

 in catching herring at that time are fishermen at Campobello and Deer 

 Island, who come over to Eastport in their boats, and sell their herring 

 to those vessels. 



Q. I want to know how that happens, when there are plenty of herring 

 on your own shore. Do you account for it by saying that the British 

 on board control the Americans ? A; To some extent. 



Q. It is a curious thing, which you are not able to explain? A.. 1 

 don't think any herring are taken at Eastport at the time those vessels 

 come there for bait. I think the herring are taken on the other side 

 altogether. 



Q. You have never been to Grand Manan ? A. No. 



Q. Do you undertake to say that there is not a large fleet of American 

 vessels fishing in there every year? A. I should say there is not., I 

 should be likely to know it if there was. 



Q. Not for herring alone, but for other fish ? A. Some vessels fish 

 there for codfish. 



Q. If such a thing happened you would have heard it ? A. Yes. 



Q. You have heard of Mr. McLaughlin ? A. Yes. 



Q. He is a respectable man ? A. Yes. 



Q. He must have committed deliberate perjury in having stated that 

 he saw American vessels there, you not having heard of any being 

 there ? A. I don't say that. 



Q. Do I understand you to say that you don't mean any American 

 vessels come there for the purpose of fishing? A. I don't say so. I say 

 vessels do come there cod-fishing. 



Q. For herring every year? A. Not to any extent. 



Q. You don?t believe it? A. No. 



Q. Then if Mr. McLaughlin swore that they did, he was committing 

 deliberate perjury ? A. I have nothing to say to that. 

 * Q. Mr. McLaughliu having sworn what he swore, and you having given 

 the opinion that, in your judgment, those vessels were not there, I ask 

 you if you can escape the conclusion that Mr. McLaughlin was telling 

 what was false ? A. I think Mr. McLaughlin was right when he told 

 somebody in Eastport that he would like to alter the testimony he had 

 given here. I don't say anything as to whether Mr. McLaughlin told 

 the truth or not. 



Q. You, a man who has never been at the island, and consequently 

 never saw what the fishing there was, put your opinion against that of 

 a man who has been there and seen it? A. I do ; for I know from ves- 

 sels which come from there to Eastport. 



Q. Do you swear that a large fishing-fleet from Gloucester does not 

 come down there and fish round the island, especially for herring ?-rA. 

 I don't know that there is, only, as I said, for codfish. 

 170 F 



