2706 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. I want to call your attention to a statement made in the Cape Ann 

 Advertiser; I suppose you are aware it is a fisherman's organ * A. I 

 know it is a paper published in Gloucester, that is all I know of it. 



Q. I call your attention to a statement published in the issue of Feb- 

 ruary 23, 1877. It is as follows: 



From this bumble beginning may be traced the success of the herring business, \vhich 

 has developed into a leading business industry, and employs many of the finest vessels 

 of the deet. For the first dozen years the business was confined to Newfoundland voy- 

 ages ; but of late years an extensive herring business has grown up with Grand Manan. 

 and a few cargoes are brought annually from Nova Scotia. 



Q. What do you say to that ? A. It refers to frozen herring. 



Q. It says : " Of late years au extensive business has grown up with 

 Grand Manan"? A. I say that is true; I don't deny it. The vessels 

 that come from Gloucester in the winter season go to Grand Manan first 

 to buy cargoes of frozen herring. 



Q. This article is headed " The herring business of Gloucester," and 

 it says : 



This herring industry enables our vessels to prosecute the Bank fisheries in February 

 and March, when immense schools of fish resort thither, and the largest fares are brought 

 in ; it furnishes a valuable article of nourishing food for the New York, Boston, and 

 other markets at a low price, and within the last year it has opened a profitable com- 

 merce with Sweden, from which the best of results are anticipated. 



Another paragraph from the same article reads : 



The export trade of the past season, and the improved demand for h^me consump- 

 tion, gave an impetus to the various branches of the herring fishery the past season, 

 and some thirty-nine vessels were employed in the Newfoundland herring trade, salt 

 and fresh, while some thirty-six vessels made herring trips to Grand Manan and Nova 

 Scotia on Gloucester account. Most of the fleet have completed their voyages, and 

 besides keeping this market well stocked, eight cargoes from Newfoundland and five 

 from Grand Manan have been forwarded to New York, three Manan fares have been 

 sent to Philadelphia, and three Newfoundland and three New Brunswick cargoes have 

 been marketed in Boston. 



Do you believe those statements? A. That refers entirely to the 

 frozen-herring business, from the fact that it says they send them to 

 Is T ew York and Philadelphia, and Gloucester vessels come down to Grand 

 Mauan and buy cargoes of herring, take them to Gloucester, and send 

 them to markets at New York or Philadelphia. 



Q. What is the practice round Grand Manau as to buying herring? 

 A. They pay so much per hundred for them. 



Q. Do they fish for them themselves ? A. No; they buy them. 



Q. You never have been there ? A. No. 



Q. You swear positively that they don't catch them? A. Yes. 



Q. Do they employ the fishermen to catch herring for them ? A. 

 The fishermen catch the herring 1 ', and they buy them and pay so much 

 per hundred. 



Q. They never catch a herring ? A. Not to any extent. 



Q. To what extent do they catch them ? A. It is very slight. la 

 fact, I think they have given it up altogether ; a few vessels formerly 

 brought down nets. The skippers of those vessels have told me it did 

 not pay to catch the herring, and they would rather buy them. I know 

 one particular friend of mine who did this last winter. Again, the 

 fishermen about Deer Island won't let them catch herring, and cut their 

 nets, saying that the fishing belongs to them. 



Q. Although you were never at Grand Manau, you swear positively 

 that the Americans do not fish there? A, I s:iy they don't to any 

 extent. 



Q. That you swear to positively ? A. Yes. 



