1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 33 



proportion as the water area increases in size, and that, consequently, it 

 is probably more economical, in the case of large water area^ at least, 

 to encourage the development of a distinct class of commercial fisher- 

 men than to jeopardize the existence of such a class through the intru- 

 sion of others, ignorant of the business, but attracted by its speculative 

 posisibilities; (6) that after the elimination of the monopolies the un- 

 certainty of obtaining licenses might deter enterprising provincial com- 

 panies or individual fishermen from acquiring a sufficiency of nets or 

 from erecting the freezing and storage plants necesKary to conduct the 

 business; (c) that considerable labor and expense would be involved in 

 advertising for tenders; (d) that there are no doubt a number of men 

 in the Province who, while possessed of little or no resources other than 

 those obtained annually as the result of commercial fishing, have pur- 

 sued their calling so long and have attained such an age that it would be 

 impossible for them to turn to other means of livelihood in the event of 

 their being unsuccessful in tendering for a license; (e) that if discrim- 

 ination were instituted in one case — that is, if a higher tender was 

 refused in favor of a lower it would open the road to all the evils of 

 political patronage and influence. Undoubtedly some means of protec- 

 tion for the old fishermen would have to be devised, but this could easily 

 be effected by refraining from putting up to tender the licenses of those 

 who had engaged in commercial fishing in the Province any stated num- 

 ber of years. In regard, also, to the labor and expense involved in plac- 

 ing the licenses up to tender, these could be greatly lightened by fixing a 

 term of years over which the license tendered for would be valid, sub- 

 ject, of course, to the licensee keeping within the law, and it is apparent 

 that the cost of this small franchise could be expected to operate in the 

 direction of securing a better observance of the laws, seeing that the 

 licensee would have more at stake. How far, however, the other objec- 

 tions to the system would counterbalance its advantage can only be a 

 matter of opinion and conjecture, but the privilege granted by a com- 

 mercial fishing license is so great, and the advantages of such a system so 

 attractive from many points of view, that, under proper administration 

 of the fisheries, it might well be worth while at least to make an experi- 

 ment in this direction. 



It may be considered, then, from this section that the commercial 

 fisheries should produce a greater revenue than they do at present; that 

 a tax on the catch of fish would be more equitable on the fishermen than 

 a license in proportion to the class or amount of net used ; that the estab- 

 lishment of reasonable competition in the fishery business is greatly to be 

 desired, and that such competition can best be assured by first breaking 

 up the domination now exercised by an alien corporation over the com- 

 mercial fisheries of the Province. 



