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capable of unlimited expansion. With Newfoundland as a basis of operations, the 

 right of procuring bait, refitting their vessels, drying and curing fish, procuring ice 

 in abundance for the preservation of bait, liberty of transshipping their cargoes, &c., 

 an almost continuous prosecution of the Bank Fishery is secured to them. By 

 means of these advantages, United States' fishermen have acquired, by the Treaty 

 of Washington, all the requisite facilities for increasing their fishing operations to 

 such an extent ns to enable them to supply the demand for fish food in the United 

 Statos' markets, and largely to furnish the other fish markets of the world, and 

 thereby exercise a competition which must inevitably prejudice Newfoundland 

 exporters. It must be remembered, in contrast with the foregoing, that United 

 iStiitcs' fishing craft, before the conclusion of the Treaty of Washington, could only 

 avail tiiemsc'ives of the coast of Newfoundland for obtaining a supply of wood and 

 water, for shelter, and for necessary repairs in case of accident, and for no other 

 purpose u'liutevrr ; they therefore prosecuted the Bank Fishery under great dis- 

 advantages, notwithstanding which, owing to the failure of the United States' local 

 fisheries, and the consequent necessity (»f providing new fishing grounds, the Bank 

 Fisl'.erics have developeci into a lucrative source of employment to the fishermen of 

 the United States. That this position is appreciated by those actively engaged in 

 the Bank Fisheries is attested by the statements of competent witnesses, whose 

 evidence will be laid before the Commission. 



It is impossible to offer more convincing testimony as to the value to United 

 States' tishermcn of securing the right to use the coast of Newfoundland as a basis 

 of operations for the Bank Fisheries than is contained in the declaration of one 

 who has been for six years so occupied, sailing from the ports of Salem and 

 Gloucester, in Massachusetts, and who declares that it is of the greatest importance 

 to United States' fishermen to procure from Newfoundland the bait necessary for 

 those fisheries, and that such benefits can hardly be over-estimated ; that there will 

 be during the season of 1876 upwards of 200 United States' vessels in Fortune 

 Bay for bait, and tliat there will be upwards of 300 vessels from the United States 

 engaged in the Grand Bank Fishery; that owing to the great advantage of being 

 able to run into Newfoundland for bait of different kinds they are enaf^led to make 

 four trips during the season ; that the capelin, which maybe considered as a bait 

 pecidiar to Newfoundland, is the best which can be used for this fishery, and that a 

 vessel would ])rol)ably bo enabled to make two trips during the capelin season, 

 which extends over a period of about six weeks. The same experienced deponent 

 is of opinion that the Bank Fisheries are capable of immense expansion and 

 development, anil that the privilege of getting bait on the coast of Newfoundland 

 is indispensable for the accomplishment of this object. 



As an instance of the demand for bait supplies derived from the Newfoundland 

 inshore fisheries, it may be useful to state that the average amount of this article 

 consumed by the French fishermen, who only prosecute the Bank Fisheries during 

 a period of about six months of the year, is from 120,000 to 16U,000 dollars annually. 

 The iierring, capelin, and squiil, amply meet these requirements, and are supplie(i by 

 the people of Fortune and Placentia Bays, the produce of the Islands of St. Pierre 

 and .\Iiq'.icl()n being insufficient to meet the demand. 



it is evident from the above considerations t' at not only arc the United States' 

 fishermen almost entirely dependent on the bait supply from Newfoundland, now 

 open to them for the successful prosecution of the Bank fisheries, but also that they 

 are enabled, through the privileges conceded to them by the Treaty of VVasiiington, 

 to largely increase the number of their trips, and thus considerably augment the 

 profits of the <>nterprise. This substantial advantage is secured at the risi<, as beibre- 

 mentioned, of hereafter depleting the bait supplies of the Newfoundland insiiores, 

 and it is but just that a substantial equivalent should be paid by those who profit 

 thereby. 



We are therefore warranted in submitting to the Commissioners tiiat not only 

 should the present atcual advantages derived on this head by United Slates' fisher- 

 men be taken into consideration, l)ut also the probable cflect of the concessions 

 made in their favour. The inevitable consequence of these conces.sions will 

 be to attract a larger amount of United States' capital and enterprise following 

 the profits already made in this direction, and the effect will be to infliet an injury 

 on tile local fishermen, both by the increased demand on their sources of supply 

 and by competition with them in their trade with foreign markets. 





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