2900 AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



By Mr. Whiteway : 



Q. Have yon ever carried on herring-fishing yourself on the southern 

 coast of Newfoundland ? A. No ; vessels we own have gone there. 



Q. When did you commence the business of sending them there for 

 herring? A. In 1860 or 1861 ; 1860, I think. 



Q. In what month did you send them ? A. They start about the 

 last of November and come back as quickly as possible, usually arriving 

 home in the early part of February. 



Q. Between 1860 and the present time, how many vessels, on an aver- 

 age, have you been in the habit of sending there every winter ? A. 

 Usually two or three every year, right along from year to year. 



Q. Have any of your vessels taken nets to catch herring I A. Never. 



Q. You employed the people to catch herring for them ! A. We 

 bought them from the people. 



Q. Those are frozen herring you refer to ? A. They were bought, 

 as I understand, and the vessels froze them. 



Q. What do you do with the herring? A. They take them to New 

 York and sell them retail in the markets as fish-food, and some are sold 

 for bait. Some are also sent to Philadelphia and sold for food. 



Q. What proportion do you say goes to New York nearly the 

 whole ? A. I should say New York and Philadelphia, on an average, 

 take two-thirds of them the larger part of them. 



Q. What did you pay the people of Newfoundland for herring last 

 winter ? A. I think up to 6, 8, 10, and 12 shillings ; the prices went up, 

 for herring was scarce. Not more than two-thirds of the vessels got 

 loads, consequently they forced the prices up to $2.50 per barrel. 



Q. Have you not bought them as low as 50 cents and 75 cents a barrel? 

 A. They have never been bought so low. The first year the American 

 vessels went there they were bought for 3 shillings or 4 shillings. 



Q. What is the lowest price paid by you ? A. One dollar 6 shillings. 



Q. As far back as 1860 ; are you sure about that ? A. Yes ; pretty 

 clear on it. 



Q. The lowest price you paid was 81? A. Yes; I am clear about 

 that. 



Q. You have heard of others having paid 80 cents ? A. The first 

 year the business was started I think they were bought as low as 80 

 cents ; as soon as American vessels commenced to go there the price 

 went up to $1 and $1.20. 



Q. Has it been a profitable trade with you f A. Profitable at the 

 early part; unprofitable at the last. 



Q. But still you keep sending the same number of vessels ? A. A 

 man does what he has usually been doing. 



Q. Have any of your vessels fishing on the Grand Banks gone into 

 Newfoundland for bait? A. Yes; they have made a practice of late 

 years to go in. 



Q. W T hen did they commence that practice ? A. My impression is, 

 in either 1874 or 1875. I am not certain which year, but three or four 

 years ago. 



Q. The difference between the twenty vessels and those that have 

 gone to the bay, have been employed on the Banks cod-fishing! A. 

 Mostly off our own shores, on the Georges, cod-fishing. 



Q. How many have been on the Grand Bank ? A. I think the first 

 vessel I had on the Grand Bank was in 1870 or 1871. We have gone 

 from one vessel up to 6, which number we have there this year. 



Q. I believe you said that cod-fishing with you had been, on the whole, 

 very prosperous ? A. It has been the best part of our business. 



