184 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
VII.— INTERNATIONAL AND ECONOMIC QUESTIONS INVOLVED. 
Effects of termination of Treaty of Washington. — During 
the last few years of the continuance of the Treaty of Washington the 
sardine interests developed with surprising rapidity. With the termi- 
nation of that treaty grave fears were entertained on the part of all 
concerned lest the business might be so seriously interrupted as to 
render it unprofitable. The Collector of Customs at Eastport, appreciat- 
ing the importance of the situation, gathered statistics to show that the 
magnitude of the industry warranted the Government in giving special 
attention to its interests, and wrote a detailed letter explaining the situa- 
tion, which was the natural result of an industry in which the citizens 
of both the United States and Canada were equally interested. 
A considerable percentage of the herring were caught by fishermen 
living on the Canadian side of the boundary, while the entire packing 
interest was controlled within the limits of the United States ; hence any 
regulations which interfered with the bringing in of fish would result 
disastrously to both parties. He explained that for many years the 
fishermen had been accustomed to go out in their small boats and fish 
with trawl and line indiscriminately in British and American waters, 
bringing their catch home to be salted and sold. He then asked 
whether these boats, which were of less than 5 tons burden and hence 
not recognized as vessels, could not for purposes of fishing be considered 
as vessels of the United States, and their catch, when manned by Amer- 
ican citizens, be admitted free of duty as the product of the American 
fisheries, even though the fish might have been caught in Canadian 
waters. This question, if answered in the affirmative, would allow the 
few boat fishermen that remained to continue their fishing without in- 
terruption, and would remove difficulties which would otherwise prove 
annoying. 
A second question was submitted asking whether American boats 
manned by American citizens would be allowed to go to the weirs and 
to the fishing grounds along the Canadian shores, and obtain fish caught 
there, and bring them home in said boats free of duty as the product of 
the American fisheries. The Secretary of the Treasury submitted the 
questions to the Attorney-General, who decided both in the affirmative. 
These decisions having been made, it was in the power of the Collector 
to make such minor arrangements as were necessary for continuing the 
business. A large percentage of the vessels employed in transporting 
sardines from the weirs to the factories were owned by men living on 
the Canadian side, but as their boats were open boats of less than 5 
tons burden, and hence not recognized by the United States as vessels of 
a foreign country, they would be treated as wagons or other vehicles for 
transportation, and could be brought to Eastport, entered, appraised, 
and duty collected, after which they would be regarded as Ameri- 
can boats. At least seventy of these boats were thus made over into 
