3102 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 



Essx ss GLOUCESTER Jan 25th 1876 



Then personally appeared the abovenamed Henry Hardy and made 

 oath that all the foregoing statements by him subscribed are true as far 

 as they depend upon his own knowledge and as far as they depend upon 

 information and belief he believes them to be true 



before me 

 (Seal.) DAVID W. LOW 



Notary Public 

 No. 41. 



I John E Saunders of Gloucester in the county of Essex and Com- 

 monwealth of Massachusetts being duly sworn do depose and say that 

 I am forty seven years old and have been engaged in fishing since I was 

 a boy for the last twenty five years I have been captain of a vessel I Have 

 been in the Bay of St Lawrence every \ ear from July to November. Since 

 1872 I have used the inshore fisheries very little, in all have not taken 

 more than five barrels inshore I can always do much better off shore 

 Last year there were very few Gloucester vessels in the Bay not more 

 than forty, most of the others were engaged in seine fishing oft' our own 

 coast which is very valuable and productive The Bay catch has not 

 been near so heavy for the last five years as before and for this reason 

 we send fewer vessels each year to the Bay. The seine fishery has been 

 tried in the Bay but has been unsuccessful the water is shallow and the 

 mackerel do not school as they do off our coast Canadians import men- 

 haden bait from the United States to some extent, the menhaden is not 

 found north of Cape Sable, fresh herring is used by Canadians some- 

 what but it is an inferior sort of bait and they much prefer menhaden 

 when they can get it. I never have used the right under the treaty to 

 land and repack fish &c I do not consider it of any value I have pur- 

 chased supplies and refitted in Canadian ports, several times spent $250 

 in one season and once paid $700 for refitting my vessel Americans 

 are charged very high prices for every thing purchased They can build 

 their vessels much cheaper and by paying their crews much less they 

 can carry on the business at much less cost and as by the treaty they 

 can send their fish here free, they are enabled to make a profit where 

 our fishermen could not live 



I consider the treaty of much benefit to the Canadians and of little 

 value to us; The only use to us, is that we are allowed to buy pro- 

 visions &c without hinderance, this right was always ours, but we were 

 prevented and driven away on the ground that it was preparing to 

 fish 



JOHN E. SAUNDERS 

 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 



ESSEX ss GLOUCESTER Jan 26th 1876 



Then personally appeared theabovenamed John Saunders to me known 

 and made oath that all the foregoing statements subscribed by him are 

 true as far as they depend upon his own knowledge and as far as they 

 depend upon information and belief he believes them to be true 



before me 

 (Seal.) DAVJD W. LOW 



Notary Public 



