AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2951 



Q. That is the opinion of the Boston Board of Trade. Do you dis- 

 M nt from that opinion ? A. I don't think they know so much about the 

 tishing business as Gloucester people do. 



Q. In 1853, were Gloucester people doing a flourishing business in the 

 gulf, or were they losing money ! A. I could not say. 



(}. The Boston board of directors state that u it was agreed by all 

 parties that if their vessels (Gloucester vessels) could have had free 

 access to the fishing-grounds as formerly, the difference to that district 

 alone would have been at least $600,000." Do you dissent from that 

 opinion? A. Yes. 



( v >. I now call your attention to a speech delivered by Mr. Erastus 

 Brooks, delivered at New York on May 28, 1874. He says : 



Our public documents show, first, in 18G2, we ha<l over 203,000 tons of shipping in 

 1 the fisheries, off what are now the Canadian coasts, with 28,000 seamen ; the returns 

 : considerably exceeded $14,000,000. 



Do you agree or dissent from that opinion? A. I don't know any- 

 thing about it. 

 Q. He says : 



Jd. Within three years from the abrogation of the treaty depriving our fishermen of 

 the shore privileges under the treaty, our tonnage in the trade fell to 62,000 tons a 

 1 loss of 70 per cent. 



Do you dissent from. that statement? A. Yes. I don't think it fell 

 off that much; it fell off considerably; I could not say how much. 

 Q. He further says : 



3d. The reconcession of these shore privileges, tinder the Washington Treaty, has 

 already doubled the tonnage of our fishing-fleet from what it was in 1869. 



Do you dissent from that ? A. I should not think it was a true state- 

 ment, though I could not say. 



Q. I suppose you know as a fact that the tonnage did fall off after the 

 abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty ? A. Yes. 



Q. And you know that, after the Treaty of Washington, in 1871, your 

 tonnage began to increase, and has increased ever since? A. I don't 

 think it has. 



Q. Then you think this statement is not correct? A. It has fallen off. 



Q. Since *1871? A. I think so. 



Q. Theii Mr. Brooks is wrong ? A. It has been falling off all the 

 time. 



Q. Since 1861 it has not increased ? A. I don't think it has. 



Q. This statement, then, is a misstatement? A. I think it has been 

 falling off all the time. 



Mr. Thomson put in the following paper: 



[New York Evening Express, May 28th, 1874.] 

 Produce Exchange. 



ANOTHER CALL UPON THE GOVERNMENT SPEECH OF ERASTUS BROOKS RECIPROCAL 



COMMERCIAL TREATY. 



A meeting of the members of the exchange was held this afternoon, to consider t'e 

 iibject of restoring reciprocal comuieicial relations between the United' States, Cuu- 

 ( ada, and Newfoundland. 



Mr. 11. W. Floyd, vice-president, presided. The secretary read the following: 



The board of managers of the New York Produce Exchange having learned that 

 negotiations are now pending between the United States and the Dominion of Canada 

 and Newfoundland for the renewal of reciprocal commercial relations between the 

 two countries, it is therefore 



RewlrHl, That this exchange earnestly desires to impress upon the Government of 

 the United States, and upon the Senators and Representatives ot' this State in Congress, 



