2902 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



places ? A. Yes ; it does. There are vessels that were fishing alto- 

 gether ou the shore, and vessels that were in the bay all the time they 

 were inackereling, with the exception of last year. 



Q. Does it represent from June to October in the bay, and whatever 

 the length of the season was on our own shore? A. Yes; the time 

 they were in the bay, and the length of the season on our shore. Per- 

 haps 'the vessels did not go in the bay till July. It has only been two 

 or three years since the time has varied on our shore and in the bay. 



Q. You did not put vessels which had fished four or five months on 

 our shore against vessels which had been in the bay for 60 days ? A. 

 No ; it represents the whole bay fishery of the vessels. 



Q. In those seven years you have had from Bay St. Lawrence 

 877,995.22 worth of mackerel, and from our shore 8271,333.54 worth? 

 A. Yes. 



Q. You have been asked about the settlement with the sharesmen at 

 the end of the mackerel voyage. How is the price at which the mack- 

 erel is taken by your firm determined ? A It is determined by the 

 highest market price paid at the day of settlement. 



Q. If there is any dispute about it, how do you get at the market 

 price ? A. We always take the highest price paid ; it is determined by 

 the sales at the place. 



Q. Do you not have a chance to cheat the captain and sharesmen ' 

 A. No. 



Q. "Why not? A. Because it is publicly known what the sales are. 



Q. The right of packing is reserved by your firm ? A. The prices are 

 made after they are packed. 



Q. Eeserving the right of packing to your firm, if your firm cannot 

 give as much for the mackerel when packed as others will, have you 

 any right to give only part of the price ? A. No ; we are compelled to 

 give the market price. When one master wishes to keep a trip in view 

 of an advancing market, then in that case the judges decide what the 

 trip should be valued at on the day the fish were ready for sale, and the 

 crew will be settled with at that rate. If the market is dull and the 

 crew insist on a settlement, the owner has the privilege of taking the 

 crew's half, putting them on the market and selling them, and at that 

 price the crew will be settled with. , 



Q. In regard to bay and shore mackerel, how have they compared 

 for two years past? A. Ever since I can remember, with the exception 

 of two or three years, the shore mackerel have always been the best 

 and brought the highest price. Those two or three years were excep- 

 tional, and bay mackerel then brought a higher price. 



Q. You are a mackerel buyer ? A. Y"es. 



Q. Have you bought mackerel in the provinces ? A. I have bought 

 provincial mackerel, but not in the provinces. 



Q. When there was a duty on provincial mackerel, and a man bought 

 mackerel at Halifax, would he have to pay the price of that same mack- 

 erel in the United States, or would you pay 82 less? A. You would 

 always buy at 82 per barrel less. 



Q. Have you bought any mackerel since you have been here ? A. I 

 have tried to buy some. 



Q. As to this matter of the corner-grocery prices of mackerel, you' 

 say that the retail price to the man who eats mackerel has not varied 

 for the year, however the price in the market has fluctuated ? A. It 

 has not varied for mackerel or codfish, materially. 



Q. A man who wants to buy mackerel for his family does not buy a 

 barrel ? A. Perhaps one or two pounds, or one or two fish. 



