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116 



ycais 18fiO, 1801, and \HC)-2 the Imy catch wns t\,MC) barrels, bringing 23,0.')!) dollars, or 

 ail averaf^c of dois. IV2 c. per barrel, whilst the catch on tlic American shore was l.Ulil 

 barrels, brinfj;iii}i ^),^li'2 dollars, or an averaj^e of ;") dols. 42 c. per barrel. Sylvnnus Smith, 

 an American witness, when on the stand, produced a statement, or his evidence will 

 establish, that Ironi 1^08 to 187'), his bay catch was 10,9!)r) barrels, realising 

 111,70.'< dollars, averaging 10 dols. 10 c. per barrel; whilst the United States' shore 

 cntcli was ll),.'}87 barrclji, bringing 17fi,'.*L*8 dollars or 9 dollars per barrel, I dol. IG c. 

 less per barrel tiian the hay catch. Pro<!ter's statement shows that his bay catch from 

 1H57 to 18T(i, for I'.l years, was 30,41)9 barrels, realising .'H5,9r»4 dollars, or an average of 

 1 1 dols. .')7 c. |)iT barrel. Procter gives no American shore catch, 1 suppose he has 

 i;ood reason for not doing so ; I presume that the figures would not have compai-cd 

 favourably. 



It is lemnrkablc that the statement of Sylvnnus Smith (which is to l)e found at page 

 3.30 United States' evidence) is taken for the period from 18ti8 to 1876, when the 

 American Fisheries were said to bi' at their best, I think. But bo that as it may, he 

 shows — althoim'i he came he came here for a different purpose — that his bay catch was 

 10,99.') barrels, realizing 1 1 1 ,703 dollars, or an average of 10 dols. 10c. per barrel ; whilst 

 his catch on the American shore was 19,387 barrels, realizing 176,998 dollars, or an 

 average of S) dollars per barrel. Now these statements arc put in by Mr. I^w, with the 

 exception of those of Sylvanus Smith and Procter, who, though brought here for anotiier 

 purpose was obliged, in cross-examination by Mr. Dnvics, to admit the facts which I have 

 shown. It is siiflicient also that Low was put forward by Mr. Dana as a gentleman who 

 would put ill statements direct from books in order to insure accuracy, and Mr. Dana 

 himself taki s this view in his speech, for he says, after commenting somewhat severely on 

 the British evidence. "Now, let us turn to evidence that can be relied on" — the evidence 

 of books. Yet Low, though he had lull access to the books, did not care to take the whole 

 of the contents, such as they were, but he chose only to take certain figures and hold back 

 those on the other side of the account in favour of the Gulf Fisheries ; and he is obliged 

 to admit that lit made the statement up merely as an estimate. This is sutheicnt, bwause at 

 first it was put forward that all these were accurate statements. Why the man wlio came 

 here professedly to give the contents of the books of the Gloucester merchants engaged 

 in tile fishing business, should give an estimate instead of the actual facts, passes my 

 comprehension. 



Mr. Fosti-r. — ^'oii are entirely ineorrect — the statement he came here with was an 

 estimate, lie made an estimate (or one voyage, afler pulling in the result of the analysis 

 of the trip books, and after the whole trip books were before you. 



Ml . Tlinmsnn. — I say that the trip book only siiows certain expenses connected with 

 a particular voyage, not the whole expenses of the vessel. There was no record therein 

 as to what was paid lor provisions, lor coal, and a number of articles. And while I am on 

 that subject i may mention that hard coal was charged in one of the accounts — I Ibrget 

 which, but your Honours will recollect — at the rate, 1 think, of 10 dollars a ton. It 

 struck me as an exceedingly high piice, when it can be bought in St. John lor 5 dols. 50 e. 

 and jierhaps less. It struck me as very odd. 



Mr. Foster. — It d( pends on the year. 



Mr. Thomson. — W'vW, this year. C'ordwood, for what purpose it is recpiired 1 do not 

 know-, is entered at ^ dollars or 10 dollars u cord, while Mr. Patillu said in cross- 

 examination that lie had bought it at 2 dols. 75 c. per cord. These arc all little straws 

 on the current showing which way it is running. 



iU(. /•o.vtc;— lie never said that in the United States he could buy it at that price. 



Mr. 77io»i,s()H. — lie got it at Canso. He said the American fishermen all got their 

 wood at Canso; and I then asked him how much they paid for it. It is wholly absurd to 

 suppose that shrewd .\nieiiciui fishermen would buy their wood in the Uinteil States and 

 pay a high jirice, when they could get it at Canso, which was directly on their route, at 

 2 dollars 7.') c h cord. 



Mr. /'V/.v^f. -He has been out of the business since the end of the war, and Steele's 

 books are ("or later years. 



Mr. Tliniiisiin. — I ap|iielii'nd that Steele's trip books do not show what was paid for 

 wood, and the other books have not been produced. It is true the e.traordinnry oiler was 

 made to "js that we sluiuld ■j.n down and examine all the books of the (iloucester 

 nioichanls. I u'rcatiy doulil wlicther the learned agent of the United States couUI have 

 borne me oiif 

 books. 



Mr. hosier. — V(jii had Inlter come and sec. 



Mr. Thomson. — Aid besides, judging from 



reati 



if I had :'M\:v into mie (if the ( Houcestcr houses and asked to see tlitir 



he two sets of affidavits which have liecn 



4 



