of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



27 



account is opened with the hanks, as in Fife. The boats are managed 

 by the fishermen, and none of the other partners has a say in their control. 



Steam Drifters. 



The earnings of drifters are usually allocated as follows at the close of 

 each of the three seasons commonly reckoned as occurring during the year. 



From the gross earnings are deducted salesmen's commission, dues of 

 every description, cost of coal, oil, engine stores, and engineers' and, as a 

 rule, stokers' wages. In some instances the cost of insurance, provisions, 

 and cooks' wages is also deducted. 



The balance is divided into three shares ship's share, nets' share, and 

 crew's share, each of which is subject to deductions. For instance the 

 cost of maintenance is deducted from the boat's share, as is also the cost 

 of insurance where not deducted from gross earnings ; the nets' share has 

 to bear the cost of cutch and, at Peterhead, stokers' wages, while from the 

 crew's share is deducted the cost of food and, in the case of the majority of 

 the Peterhead vessels, the cooks' wages. 



Usually owners and crew find nets in equal proportions. 



The system of dividing the net earnings into three equal shares, although 

 the general rule, is not always followed. Thus in the case of the majority 

 of the Anstruther and a few of the Fraserburgh vessels, the proportions 

 are : Boat, four-tenths ; nets, three-tenths ; and crew, three-tenths ; 

 while in some cases the proportions at Anstruther are seven-nineteenths, 

 six-nineteenths, and six-nineteenths respectively. 



Steam Liners. 



The steam line fleet is largely concentrated at Aberdeen, and the 

 system in vogue there of allocating the earnings is as iollows : All work- 

 ing expenses — cost of coal, bait, wages of engineer, etc., are deducted 

 from the gross earnings, and the balance halved, one share going to the 

 boat, and the other being divided amongst the crew. Fishermen who do 

 not contribute a share of the lines, i.e., hired hands, are paid at the rate 

 of from 25s. to 30s. per week, with food. In other districts, where steam 

 drifters are occasionally employed in line-fishing, the system of division 

 is usually the same, i.e., half of the net earnings go to the boat, and half 

 to the crew, who each provide an equal share of lines. In Eyemouth 

 district, the system is slightly more complicated. A fleet of nets is usually 

 carried for the purpose of obtaining bait, and each time the lines are shot 

 a sum of 12s. is allowed for the upkeep of nets and a similar sum for the 

 crew, and the net earnings are divided thus : Boat, three-sevenths ; 

 crew, three-sevenths ; lines, one-seventh. 



Steam trawlers are sometimes temporarily fitted out as liners, the 

 owner furnishing the equipment, and in such cases the net proceeds 

 are divided into 14 shares, of which the skipper receives If shares and the 

 mate 1J. The other members of the crew are paid at fixed rates, but the 

 deck hands receive in addition a bonus of 3d. per £1 on the net, and the 

 firemen 6d. per £1 on the gross earnings over £40 per week. All are paid 

 at the end of each voyage. 



Motor Boats. 



In the case of the large motor drifters on the East Coast, the system 

 of division is not uniform, although the differences are slight. The modus 

 operandi is the same as in the case of steam drifters, the net earnings 

 being allocated in varying proportions to the boat, nets, and crew. The 



