2956 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



By Mr. Thomson : 



Q. You stated, in answer to Mr. Dana, that you did not know any 

 person belonging to the Boston Board of Trade in the fishing business. 

 Do you know the members of the Board of Trade who framed that 

 report in 1855? A. No. 



Q. Then you did not mean the Commissioners to understand it was 

 composed by gentlemen who had nothing to do with the trade. Do you 

 know a single man who composed the report ? A. No. 



Q. Then you cannot undertake to say that there was no man who was 

 not engaged in the fishing business? A. I know there is no Gloucester 

 man. 



By Sir Alexander Gait : 



Q. Is the falling off in the fishing, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 attributed by you to its being less profitable of late years ? A. Yes. 



Q. And more profitable on your own coast ? A. Yes. 



Q. You say that this year the mackerel were reported to be more 

 abundant in the bay and that induced you to send more of your vessels 

 to the bay? A. That induced us to send what we did. We did not 

 intend to send any we sent one. 



Q. Would it be your opinion that, if the mackerel should be as plen- 

 tiful in the bay as they were in former years, the fleet would again go 

 as they did betore ? A. If they were scarce on our coast, they might. 



Q. Under similar circumstances, they would go back. Do you mean 

 they did not go to the bay because they found fishing on the American 

 coast rather more profitable than in the bay ? A. Yes. 



By Mr. Dana : 

 Q. And cod-fishing? A. Yes. 



No. 78. 



WEDNESDAY, October 24, 1877. 



The Conference met. 



FITZ J. BABSON, collector of customs of Gloucester, Mass., called on 

 behalf of the Government of the United States, sworn and examined. 

 By Mr. Trescot : 



Question. Are you collector of the port of Gloucester? Answer. lam. 



Q. How long have you been so ? A. Eight years. 



Q. Is it your duty as collector to issue papers to all vessels going out 

 of Gloucester ? A. It is. 



Q. What is the character of the papers you issue ? A. Three kinds 

 domestic and foreign a register fishing license and coasting license. 



Q. Does the register or fishing license include the privilege to touch 

 and trade, or is it a special issue ? A. The privilege to touch and trade 

 is simply what is connected with the fishing license by application made 

 upon the part of the captain or owner. 



Q. Explain what it is. A. A vessel taking a fishing license and being 

 desirous to touch and trade as part of the trip or the whole of it, applies 

 at the office for a permit to touch and trade, which is a paper that is in 

 connection with the fishing license, and gives the same power for that 

 one voyage as a register. 



Q. Then, 88 I understand it, a fishing-vessel sailing from Gloucester 

 with the intention to buy bait at Newfoundland, or to buy frozen herring, 

 would takeout, besides a fishing license, a permit to touch and trade! 

 A It would. 



