Part 125 (1/2)
4608. Is not that really just part of your bargain for the land?-It is the way we have done hitherto.
4609. If you were agreed, would not the landlord commute these services and payments into a money payment. You might make a bargain to give him so much money, and thus get rid of these things?-I have never disputed these things; but I believe they have been spoken of to him, and he does not appear willing to relieve us of the burden, which we think is rather hard one.
Lerwick, January 9, 1872, GEORGE LESLIE, examined.
4610. Are you a fisherman and tenant under Mr. Bruce at Mill of Garth, Dunrossness?-I am a fisherman, but not exactly a tenant.
4611. You don't hold land?-It is much the same. The land is held in my father's name, and I live with him.
4612. Are you bound to fish to Mr. Bruce, as being one of your father's family?-Yes.
4613. You have heard the evidence of William Goudie and the other witnesses from Dunrossness. Do you think it is generally correct?-I think it is generally correct; but Laurence Smith did not appear to know much about the shop at Boddam, except for ropes and iron, and so on, which is much about the same price as elsewhere.
4614. Can you say anything more about that shop than he did?- The tea, cotton, canvas, and moleskins are all much higher there than at Henderson's. I have no note of the price at Henderson's; but I have notes of the prices at Boddam in my pa.s.s-books.
4615. What is the price of moleskins at the Boddam shop?-I don't know if I have the price of any moleskins here.
4616. Is this [showing] your pa.s.s-book at the Boddam store?- Yes.
4617. Is it kept by the shopkeeper there?-It is kept by Isbister. I took it back and forward every time I got goods, and had them entered there. That book is for 1868.
4618. I see it is for Hans Leslie, and not for George Leslie. Is your father's name Hans?-Yes.
4619. This book only comes down to February 1869. Have you not kept a pa.s.s-book since then?-Yes; but it is not settled yet.
4620. Is that account from March 1867 to February 1869 [showing] not settled?-Yes, it is settled; but the account for 1870 is not settled yet. I have it in another pa.s.s-book, because this one had fallen aside.
4621. And you have now another one in the hands of the shopkeeper?-Yes.
4622. Do you know the prices which were charged against you for goods in 1870?-No. I have seen them in the pa.s.s-book when I had it at home; but don't remember what they were.
4623. But the settlement for 1870 is past?-Yes; it was 1871 I was thinking of.
4624. But there is nothing in this book for 1870?-No. This [producing another book] is the book for 1870 up till the settlement of 1871.
4625. Have you no pa.s.s-book in your possession later than that?- No.
4626. Show me some of the things in that book which are charged higher to you than you could have got them elsewhere?-I say that tea and cotton are generally charged higher. I have had very little cotton from that shop, but I have asked the prices, and found them much higher than at Henderson's, so that I took what cotton I wanted from Henderson's shop, and not from the shop at Boddam.
4627. Were you quite at liberty to deal at Henderson's shop if you liked?-Yes; we were at liberty in the way that some of the other men have described. If we did not have the prospect of paying what we were due, then we did not want to run into debt to a number of men.
4628. Have you generally ready money that you can go to Henderson's with?-No.
4629. What is the reason of that? Is it on account of the long settlement?-That is a thing which has something to do with it, and sometimes I have not had money to get at settlement; but when I asked for an advance from Mr. Bruce, I always got it.
4630. I see from this book that cotton is 1s. a yard at the Boddam shop: I suppose that was the price then?-It has sometimes been 1s., and it has sometimes been higher.
4631. I see there is tea at 10d. a quarter: is that the best tea they sell at that store?-They seldom have any but one sort.