AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2851 



Q. Will you make it up this year ? A. I wish I could ; I will not do 

 any better ; I would be satisfied with that. 



Q. You have had an opportunity of observing, of course, where the 

 United States vessels fish ! A. So far as there are any outside off 

 Rustico. 



Q. You know where the mackerel fishers fish off Rustico? A. Yes. 



Q. How far off do they go ? A. They are sometimes inside and some- 

 times outside. The last two or three years we haven't had any there to 

 speak of. I think ten or a dozen is as high as I have seen within two 

 or three years. 



Q. Usually, principally or chiefly, do they fish within or more than 

 three miles from land off Rustico? A. It is very hard to say ; I should 

 say about three miles was where they fish. Sometimes you see the fleet 

 outside, and the boats run out to see what they are doing. It is a part 

 of the island they don't care about staying in close. 



Q. Why, is there not a harbor ? A. There is no harbor ; there is a 

 .harbor, but it is not fit for a vessel. A vessel can't come into Rustico. 



Q. Why not ? A. There is no water ; it is a barred harbor. 



Q. What is the depth of water over the bar? A. Eight feet of water. 



Q. With what tide ? A. With a good tide. 



Q. Do' you know about how far it is from the land off Rustico to a 

 straight line run from Cape North to East Point? Suppose you drew a 

 straight line from Cape North to East Point, how long would the line 

 be from Rustico to meet that straight line at right angles ? A. 1 don't 

 know any more than I have heard. I have heard it stated as high as 

 27 miles. It is over 20. I never measured. I don't know anything 

 about it any more than I have heard. 



Q. You were on the island during the Reciprocity Treaty ? A. Yes. 



Q. You were there at the time when there was a duty on mackerel? 

 A. Yes. 



Q. You were there when the Washington Treaty passed, and have 

 been since ? A. Yes. 



Q. Now, I want to know what you regard the effect of the fishery 

 clauses of the Washington Treaty to be upon the fishing interest of 

 Prince Edward Island ? A. Well, so far as that is concerned, we would 

 rather put our fish in free than pay 82 a barrel ; that is all. 



Q. You know how you regard it; I want your opinion. A. Well, 

 that is all ; of course I look at the money ; not anything else. We 

 would rather not pay $2 than pay it. 



Q. Did you have to pay it when there was a duty on it ? A. Yes. 



Q. Didn't it come out of the people you sold the fish to in the States! 

 A. If I hire men, I lose that. 



Q. You are satisfied of that ? A. I am sure of it. 



Q. Suppose the duty was to be reimposed on fish; what effect would 

 it have on your business ? A. We'll, I don't know. Of course I could 

 not hire men to begin with. If I did, I would have to hire them at less 

 wages. If I thought that really was to be the case I would not hice 

 men at all. 



Q. You would not hire men to fish for you at all! A. No; I would 

 let them take their own risk. 



Q. What was the opinion of the people of Prince Edward Island, as 

 far as you know ? A. When it was passed, of course it was against 

 them. 



Q. What was ? A. That is to pay the duty. Of course when we 

 bought fish we had to figure the $2 in. 1| fish were selling for $5 in 

 Boston, of course we had to take the $2 out of that. 



