392 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



to the country, the owners of fishing craft and even the 

 fishermen themselves as a body, for whole crews do not 

 desert. It is as a rule some idle or ill-disposed man who 

 deserts, and by his desertion prevents seven or eight in- 

 dustrious men who want to go to sea and earn their living 

 from so doing. If the law were altered because some one 

 considered that it was hard on the fishermen, he made a great 

 mistake, for it] has caused many a poor but respectable and 

 hardworking fisherman to lose many pounds through the 

 desertion of one idle man, whereas under the old Act an 

 idly-disposed man would have been compelled to go to sea 

 and keep his contract. Another fact must here be noted, 

 that although previous to 1880 a fisherman could be 

 arrested without warrant, no statistics can be produced 

 which will show that the power given to owners was 

 abused ; on the contrary, if statistics were produced, it 

 would be found that out of the men arrested, or threatened 

 with arrest by a police-constable for desertion, or refusing 

 to go to sea, by far the larger proportion have gone to 

 sea, either on being threatened, or advised to do so 

 by the magistrates before whom they were taken, a few 

 only going to prison. In some cases where they have gone 

 to prison they have frankly admitted that it was for some 

 purpose of their own, or that they might alter the 

 commencement, and consequently the termination of their 

 voyage. No owner ever wished to send any of his 

 crew to prison when they had done nothing criminal, for 

 that would be no benefit to him, his great object being to 

 obtain their services by compelling them to fulfil their 

 contract ; which is only just, for if a deserter can bring 

 forward a good cause for his desertion no magistrate will 

 ever send him to prison. A few alleged reasons for 

 deserting may here be given. Incompetency of master, 



