FISHERIES TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 131, 26 February 1908, Page 7

FISHERIES TROUBLE.

, ■;...' ' ARBITRATION. I ■«.r TRLSGBArH—PBESS -ASSOCIATION—Corn! I OUT. : , •. . 24. "The .Times", -says , that Canada- has agreed jointly with Newfoundland to submit tlio Atlantic fisheries question to . The Hague Tribunal. " . . : THE TROUBLE OVER THE VIVENDI. There • would ~ seem .to be'little that is new in' this cablegram, since the; announcement attributed to "The Times",'adds nothing to the following statement made by "The Times" on; October. 16: " The principal controversy, which turns mainly, if not . entirely, upon the cortcct interpretation ,of a clause in tho treaty 'of >1818 between this country and the United States, has'been referred, with tho consent of all parties'concerned, to 'arbitration by Tho Hague Tribunal. Sir Robert Bond, the Prime Minister , of-Newfoundland,! whatever his first opinions may have been, about arbitration, has of late claimed credit for haying himself proposed it. Canada, which has considerable interests involved, of a „kind riot dissimilar to those of Newfoundland, gave a ready assent to the project, , and the Unitqd • States. Ambassador appears to liavo mado an independent proposal in - favour of it."

: The trouble of two or three months ago was caused by differences between ihe Imperial and tho Newfoundland Governments as to the terms of the modus vivendi. which obtains pending the arbitration. Sir Robt.; Bond, ■.'Premier- of- Newfoundland, ..claimed that the Imperial Government,. was sacrificing the colony's interests; and Lord Elgin complained that Premier Bond would not 'co-operate'with' him to retain the best vivendi from' the colony's standpoint consistent with what the United States could bo', reasonably expected toconcede. ,' ■ Finally the;' Imperial Government decided that tho, fisheries should be carried on'during tho current year as under tho 1906 modus vivendi. In ■ .'consideration of the Americans being allowed to ship Newfoundlanders outsido the three-mile limit without .interference, tho U.S. Government waived the iiso of purse-seines, and undertook that Americans should not fish on Sundays.' it was further understood that American fishermen should pay light dues when not deprived of their rights to fislv-arid report at a Customhouse _ when it. wasphysically. possible to do so. Sir Robert'.Bond declared this his Ministry;: would resist the modus vivendi by every constitutional means,, but an -Imperial was issued (Sept. 25), which overrode the Colonial legislation on which tho Premier relied. . A later despatch (Dec. 25) from; St. John's, as to tho operation of the modus vivendi, is reassuring. It states: "Tho political agitation respecting the winter herring fishery on the western coast, which has produced such friction between tho American and '.. Colonial authorities, is now over for tho season, and the industry is being prosecuted by tho fishermen -of both nationalities without the least friction arising. So ■ amicable, indeed, have been the relations of the fisherfolk that tho Imperial .Government found it to bo unnecessary to send tho cruiser Brilliant to tho 1 Bay of Islands at all this autumn', and the American Cabinet, which sent tho revenue cruiser Gresham to that region to safeguard the interests of the American fishermen, withdrew her again after only a month's stay, in pursuance of ,the samo. policy of conciliation."