181 



advantages, compared with which the Dominion fisheries are uncertain, poor in 

 quality, and vastly less in quantity. The Canadian fisheries are a long voyage from 

 any market whatever, and involve far more exposure to loss of vessels' and life. 

 These fisheries along the shores of the United States are now open to the competition 

 of the cheap-built vessels, cheap-red crew, and poorly-paid labour of the Dominion 

 fishermen, who pay trilling taxes, and live, both on board their vessels and at home, 

 at less than half the expense of American fishermen. It is only from lack of 

 enterprise, capital, and ability, that the Dominion lishermen have failed to use them." 

 It might sullice to remark, in answer to these statements, that the conditions 

 arc not at all analogous. The Dominion fisheriivn have at thei j»vn doors the richest 

 fisheries in the world. They produce from them an annual va;ue far exceeding that 

 of the fisheries carried on bv New Kngland fisliermen in their own waters. It would 

 be simply absurd for them therefore to make long and costly voyages to Americaiv 

 waters for the (xirposc of engaging there in lishing o|.oniti()ns which fail to sup|)orl 

 American fishermen, as evidenced by their aniuial appearance in great numbers on 

 the coasts of Canada. It will be shown tliat, according lo the testimony of pul)lic 

 men and others in the United States, the American fisheries in former years have 

 been on the verge of niin, — that American fishermen have |iursucd tiieir calling in 

 despair, although aided by liberal liounties, drawbacks and allowances, — and that 

 their business has l)eeii in a " si;. iting state " l)ecaus(> of their exclusion from the 

 inshore fisheries of tlie Hritish Provinces. It seems, therefore, somewhat out of 

 place t« claim for them such superiority at the expense of others; particularly s(v 

 in view of the fact tliat the fishing classes of a population numbering 4,0()(),U00 

 pro<luce more fish from the waters of Canada than the New Kngland contingent ol 

 40,000.000 of people can produce in their own fisheries, which are said to lie (p. t8*) 

 " nearly as extensive territorially, and equally valuable," as those of Canada, 

 abounding in " all descriptions of fish found in British waters." 



V. 



The Answer (pp. 18 and 1*))* lays much stress on the importance to Canadian 

 fishermen of the menhaden bait fishery on the coasts of the New Kngland States. 

 The menhaden is h«re represented to be the best bait for mackerel, and is said to 

 inhabit exclusively the American coast. An entirely fictitious value has been 

 attached to this fishery. British fishermen do not fre(|uent United States waters for 

 the purpose of catciiiiig bait of any kind, or for any other purposes connected with 

 fishing, consequently the privilege of entering those waters to catch menhaden is of 

 no practical value. Any bait of tliat description wliich they require may be purchased 

 as an article of commerce. 



There are not now, nor have there ever been, Treaty stipulations to prevent 

 British lishermen from entering American waters to buy bait, it they prefer to dt) so. 

 As a matter of fact, whatever menhaden bait Hritish fishermen use, is either 

 purchased from .American dealers or from Canadian traders, who import and keep 

 It for sale like any other mercnandise. Reference is made in the Answer to the 

 possii)le contingency of legislation oroliibiting the export or sale of menhaden l)ait, 

 the implied consetpience being a serious disadvantage to Canadian lishermen in 

 prosccutiui;- the mackerel fishery. It wouhl in such contingencv be necessary to use 

 other biiits eijually good, or resort to some other method of fishing, such as that 

 describco at page 10, enabling the lishermen to dispense with bait. Moreover, it is 

 well known that menhaden are now caught in the open sea, many miles distant from 

 the .\merican coast. The .Xnswer asserts, at page 1!),* that " it is entirely an inshore 

 fishery;' also that menhaden "are cau<:ht solely witli seines near the shore." It 

 can be proved that menhaden are chiefly caugiit off shore, IVecpiently " out of sight 

 of land." 



Mr. S. li. Boardman.of Augusta, .Maine, in an interesting report to the State 

 Board of .\gricu!ture, of which he is Secretary, published in Ib75, at page fio, 

 says : — 



" I'liitii'S iMiu'iii-'t'il ill tiikin;.,' iiu'iiliiuli'ii imw j^n olV ti>ii or twiMilv iiiiu"* tVniii slinii', winiviis ilu v 

 loimfilv lislicil near llu^ cou-sl, iiiul tliey iinw timl llie host and innsl in'ulilalili' tisliing at that liimlanci'." 



This lish is included among the shore fishes described by Professor S. F Bai/d 

 as having siifi'ered "an alarming decrease" ah)ng the inshorcsof the United States, 

 o\- .'V partl\ lo excessive fishing throughout theu- spawning time in order to supply 

 the oil facfories. 



* IPbgcB 03 ,iiid 94 of tliis volume. & 



Q 



