January 19, 1877
The Fishermen's Bill of Fare
A few weeks ago, Mr. Editor, your pen wrote an
article on the quality of the fare you considered the crew of your fishing fleet entitled
to, which was that they had a claim to whatever of the good things in life they could
secure. I certainly should concur in that opinion, if it was confined to wholesome meat,
pork, flour, potatoes, beans, tea, coffee, & etc. A man that is well fed will haul
more codfish than one half fed. To call for these substantial articles is a right of
fishing crews, and is for the interest of the owners to supply, especially to a crew bent
on making a good voyage. But the books of outfitters and my own observation, are evidences
that the luxuries that even the owner enjoies himself, occupy a fat column in the culinary
department of the voyage.
Now we put this question, Does this costly
style of feed give a corresponding increase to the product of the labour? We are
told that it does not, but that it is simply a ___d for this or that class of men. Very
well, if it does not coerce profit, its mischief is that it helps directly to cripple the
voyage. We have in view off shore fisheries and short voyages. A four months' voyage to
Grand Banks entitles the crew to call for a few luxuries outside the necessities, but our
home fishery and short voyages, where the crew are at home almost daily, find no argument
for them.
We are informed that some of our shore
fisheries, in order to cater to this spirit of excelling in attraction to their crews, and
to annoy others, for that is its tendency, paid, the past summer fabulous prices for
tropical fruit -- others culled Boston market for the very best peaches, New Jersey grown,
and all as a free gift to their crew. We lay it down as a solid law, that this system of
gilt-edged feeding will not make a man rich on land, or work better on seas.That is
certain.
A good laborer, the world over, looks about as
often to his master's interest as to his own, and all he asks for, and all he is entitled
to, is good, wholesome food -- more that this vitiates and thrift has lost its mainspring.
The commercial world makes one of its epochs by not exactly a dead halt, for that is not
one of its functions, but has slowed a little, just to show us how much faster
we've run that is laid down in the law. The slow speed of to-day's commerce invites a
retrim of our business expenditures, and the basis is, less cash for the same bulk of
productions. On this point the world is exact, and no power exists to thwart its rule.
To return to the fishermen. We admit that the
calling is hazardous at times, so is shore life; the sacrifice of home and social life is
a tax; but on the other hand, the occupation is full on interest and excitement; that all
the pleasures of a blue expanding sea are an exclusive delight for them and for them land
service has not so much charm as the sea. Commerce would be without legs but for them, and
one part of the world be hid from the other except they shew the way. Society appreciated
their importance, and the new duty of the day assigns a change for every one, that of
economy, and we are of the opinion that if the New England fisheries are called upon to
top-off the gilt-edge grub none worth employing will grumble, as it substitutes
more profit to owner and crew by so doing. |
