186 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 
in no case, thus far, has any sardine-boat been seized, though two or 
three were warned out of St. Andrews Bay during the early part of 
July. 
The customs officers on this side have been as lenient as the law 
would allow, not being disposed to cause any trouble or annoyance ; and 
it was not until the Canadian cruiser had seized two boats belonging 
to semi-professional fishermen, who had been engaged in catching pol- 
lock for their own use, that very careful scrutiny was made of the sar- 
dine-boats to know whether they had entered and paid duty, or 
whether they were still English boats. On September 4 a fisherman 
of Leonardsville, Deer Island, brought a quantity of herring to one of 
the canneries in an English boat, and the collector of customs, ascer- 
taining the facts in the case, required him to either pay duty or take 
the fish back. As he could not afford to pay the duty, he carried the 
fish home and threw them away. 
Present needs of the sardine industry. — Both the canners 
and the fishermen seem fairly well pleased with the present arrange- 
ment, though several of those engaged in the general fishing business 
urge that it would be much better if some arrangement could be made 
whereby fresh fish that had not been preserved in any way, either by 
salting, freezing, or other process, should be admitted free of duty. 
Others contend that all that would be necessary would be to allow her- 
ring for canning purposes to enter free, regardless of whether they were 
brought in American or English boats. This would enable fishermen 
getting small quantities of fish, when no collecting boat chanced to call 
at their weirs, to take their fish to market. Under the present arrange- 
ment, as they can not bring their own fish to the canneries, they are 
obliged to lose them, and the factory hands in turn lose the amount 
that they would otherwise receive for packing them. 
Probable effect of collecting import duties on Canadian 
fish. — The canners differ as to the probable result of the collecting of 
a duty of half a cent per pound on fish for canning purposes. Those at 
Pembroke and at points along the coast of Maine west of and includ- 
ing Cutler, would be benefited if the duty should be imposed, as they 
would be able to get their fish free out of American weirs and thus 
easily undersell their Eastport rivals. The Eastport packers naturally 
oppose the collection of a duty which they claim would, at the schedule 
rate of half a cent per pound, be excessive, as it would be equal to 
about 100 percent, of the actual value of the fish. A hogshead of her- 
ring is estimated to weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds, which, at 
half a cent per pound, would bring the duty up to between $5 and $6. 
When we take into consideration the amount of waste in stale fish which 
can not be used for packing, and in large fish which must be thrown out 
or used for other purposes, and the other species which get mixed in 
with the herring, the duty on a hogshead of fish suitable for canning 
would probably be increased to nearly $8. They claim that if any duty is 
