AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2915 



in consequence of this fact, people have been deceived, and have not 

 got a good article. This has been a great weight on the trade. 



Q. The quality of the fish has been marked too high ? A. Yes ; the 

 packers have not kept up the standard character of their fish. 



(}. Do you know how it is with reference to the South and the South- 

 ern Middle States ? Is there now a demand for mackerel from there as 

 used to be the case ? A. 1 am informed, and my own experience is, 

 that this demand is not so large as it was formerly. 



Q. What do you think has caused the demand to slacken up there 

 particularly! Is anything there used as a substitute for mackerel? 

 A. I can only account for it by presuming that the Southern fisheries 

 may have been developed ; and I have been informed that they have 

 been somewhat ; however, I have no personal knowledge in this matter 

 farther south than Chesapeake Bay. 



Q. What is the principal fishery which they have developed for use 

 South ? A. It is what they call a herring fishery, though I should con- 

 sider that these fish were more similar to our Northern alewives; and 

 the mullet fishery. Whitefish from the lakes are also sent there. 



Q. Do you know the extent to which the lake fish have been intro- 

 duced into common use in the market ? A. I know nothing on this head 

 from personal experience, and all I know about it is derived from gen- 

 eral information which I have obtained on that subject from parties who 

 are in the business. 



Q. Do you know how much they put up for the market in Chicago ? 

 A. I only know what 1 have been informed in this regard. 



Q. Have any fish merchants left Gloucester to go to the Western 

 States to engage in the lake-fish business ? A. Yes ; I recollect one 

 who did go. 



Q. What is his name ? A. John J. Clarke. 



Q. Was he a man who could not do anything in Gloucester, or was 

 he a man of capital, enterprise, and high standing ? A. He was a man 

 of good standing, with capital enough to carry on his business. 



Q. He has gone to Chicago? A. Yes; he abandoned business in Glou- 

 cester and now resides in Chicago. 



Q. Is he largely engaged in the lake-fish business ? A. I am told so, 

 and I have had some trade with him myself. 



Q. Do you happen to know how much business he did last year ? A. 

 I do not ; but was informed by his brother while speaking of the matter 

 incidentally that he packed some 26,000 or 28,000 packages himself. 



Q. Of large fish ? A. Yes; whitefish. 



Q. You have been to Prince Edward Island, and you have observed 

 operations there carefully ; what is the great business of this island, fish- 

 ing or agriculture ? A. Agricultural pursuits form their principal occu- 

 pation ; on the sea-coast the farmers fish for a portion of the time ; but 

 I consider agriculture their principal pursuit. 



Q. Fishing with them is incidental ? A. Yes. 



Q. Do you remember a time when they used vessels Qshing! A. I 

 do; at one time, some 12 years ago, I know they fitted out quite a num- 

 ber of vessels at the island. 



Q. What was the effect of the Reciprocity Treaty on the fishing inter- 

 est of the island ? A. 1 think that its tendency was to develop their 

 fishing business somewhat. They fitted out, as I say, more vessels for 

 this business, and there was quite an increase in the number of their 

 tishing-boats, which were then made of a better style, and provided with 

 better facilities than was previously the case. 



Q. How was it with the island fishermen who had been engaged fish- 



