AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2983 



27. Have you any knowledge of how many United States fishing-ves- 

 sels yearly engage in the fisheries off the Atlantic coasts of the British 

 North American Provinces, (excluding Newfoundland,) both without 

 and within the three-mile limit ? If so, state how many vessels are so 

 engaged, what is the value of their tonnage, what is the number of raeu 

 employed annually on such vessels, what sorts of fish are taken there, 

 what is the annual value of all the fish so caught, and what is the pro- 

 portion, or probable proportion, in your judgment, of the amount of such 

 catch taken within three miles of the British coast, and of the amount 

 taken outside of the three-mile limit? I cannot tell how many: it is a 

 very large fleet. The proportion which would fish within the three-mile 

 limit is very small. 



L'S. What percentage of value, if any, is, in your judgment, added to 

 the profits of a voyage by the privilege to fish within three marine miles 

 of the coast ; whence is such profit derived ; and in what does it con- 

 sist f It is not worth over five per cent. We used to buy a license to 

 fish inshore when we could buy them for fifty cents per ton. After the 

 price was raised we could not make it pay to buy license. 



29. Do the American fishermen gain under the Treaty of Washington 

 any valuable rights of lauding to dry nets and cure fish, or to repack 

 them, or to transship cargoes, which were not theirs before; if so, what 

 are those rights, and what do you estimate, them to be worth annually, 

 in the aggregate ? I do not think they do. 



30. Is not the Treaty of Washington, so far as the fishing clauses are 

 concerned, more, or quite as, beneficial to the people of the British North 

 American Provinces as to the people of the United States ? It is more 

 beneficial to the people of the Provinces. 



31. What is the amount and value of colonial cargoes of fish of all 

 descriptions which are annually shipped to the United States ? I do 

 not know. They ship all their fat mackerel to the United States. 



32. For all No. 1 and No. 2 mackerel, for the larger part of the fat 

 herring, and for all No. 1 salmon, does not the United States afford the 

 only market ? Yes. 



33. If you know what amount of duties is annually paid to the United 

 States on fish and fish-oil imported from Canada, which are to be made 

 free under the provisions of the Treaty of Washington, please state 

 them annually, and by classes, from 1854 to 1872, inclusive. I do not 

 know. The amount must be large. 



34. If you know what amount of duties is annually paid in Canada 

 on fish and fish-oil imported from the United States, which are to be 

 made free under the provisions of the said Treaty, please state them an- 

 nually, and by classes, from 1854 to 1872, inclusive. There has been 

 very little exportation of these articles to the Provinces during the last 

 ten years. 



35. The object of these inquiries is to ascertain whether the rights in 

 respect of fishing, and fishermen, and fish, which were granted to Great 

 Britain by the Treaty of Washington, are or are not a just equivalent 

 for the rights in those respects which were granted by said treaty to 

 the United States. If you know anything bearing upon this subject 

 which you have not already stated in reply to previous questions, please 

 state it as fully as if you had been specially inquired of in respect of it. 

 I believe that the priveleges of bringing their fish to our markets free of 

 duty considering that they can catch them cheaper than we can will stim- 

 ulate their fishing industries much niore than the prevelege of fishing 

 inland will stimulate ours. I also think that the increased trade which 

 will accrue to the Provincial towns on the coast will of itself compensate 



