Part 243 (1/2)
10,071. You said you were in possession of the sale rolls of all the sales for some years back?-Almost them all. It was I who first started sales in the North Isles. I began them at Cullivoe when I was there. There never had been any sales until I got the lease of the property from Major Cameron.
10,072. Could you give me a note of the princ.i.p.al purchasers at the sales during the last two or three years in Unst?-I could; but the princ.i.p.al purchasers at the sales for the last two or three years have been ourselves and Mr. Jeffrey, a farmer and cattle-dealer. At the last sales, I suppose, we bought two-thirds of the whole cattle sold.
10,073. Were these generally purchased in order to liquidate an existing debt?-No; a great many of the men-those who have most cattle to sell-have always most cash to get. That has been my experience. A poor man is generally poor every way, and he generally gets into the worst fis.h.i.+ng-boat.
10,074. How does that happen?-He has begun poor, and been unfortunate, and, some may think, unlucky.
10,075. But why should he get into the worst fis.h.i.+ng-boat?-There is no a.s.signable reason for that, but very often you will find that certain men who have been unfortunate just keep together.
10,076. But the fact of a man being unfortunate perhaps arises from him not being so good a fisherman or so good a man of business as the others?-Yes. He just gets into a.s.sociation with men of the same cla.s.s as himself, on the principle of birds of a feather.
10,077. But, I presume, you very often do purchase either privately or at these sales, cattle from some of your debtors, and enter them in your account?-Very often. A great many of the cattle purchased at the sales are not paid for until I settle with the men in my district. Some men-not tenants of ours at all, but tenants of Lord Zetland-have been asked to come and take the money after the sale, but have said, 'I am not at all requiring it just now; I only want my money once a year.' They have said that to me more than once this year, so that I could not get clear of the money for the cattle which I bought.
10,078. Were these men running an account with you?-Very little. They come perhaps once a month and see how the account stands, and get perhaps a pound or so in cash.
10,079. A statement was made in Edinburgh to the effect that when a merchant bought a beast from some of his debtors in that way, he had really the fixing of the price himself?-That is a very serious mistake; I must say that twenty years ago that was the case, but I think the first break to that in the North Isles was, as I have already said, my commencing a cattle sale. The very year I commenced the cattle sale, as I can prove by doc.u.mentary evidence, the price of cattle rose fully one-fourth, and ever since there has been an auctioneer appointed to conduct the sales in Yell and in Unst. I have invariably told every tenant in my district, that if they could do any better with any produce-such as b.u.t.ter, eggs, cows, or fish-than by bringing them to me, they were quite at liberty to do so. I said that to them over and over again.
10,080. Why did you tell them that so often?-Because I had an opportunity of telling it to them every time they came with their produce and asked the price. A man might come with a jar of b.u.t.ter one day, another jar a few days afterwards.
10,081. But did they not know without being told, that they might go where they thought they could get a better price?-I thought they did; but they might [Page 245] think that as we stood in the relation to them of landlord, as well as fish-curer and merchant, we might force them in some way; and I wanted to do away with that impression, both as to the fis.h.i.+ng and as to the purchase of produce, because, whatever control we might have had the power of exercising over them, we did not wish it to be exercised, or to have it felt that there was such a power in our hands.
10,082. In point of fact, I suppose that by far the greater number of the fishermen in this island sell their fish to you?-Yes. There is only one boat that does not fish for us-Mr. John Johnston's.
10,083. Are there not some of the crews at the winter fis.h.i.+ng who do not fish for you?-I cannot speak so well about the winter fis.h.i.+ng, because it is carried on in small boats, and the men take their fish anywhere they like.
10,084. Do they sell their winter fish to you for ready money?- Yes, for ready money, or for goods if they want them, whichever they like. We buy in North Yell just now all winter, and pay the cash just as the men want it, or give them goods.
10,085. There is no Faroe fis.h.i.+ng carried on by your firm?-No.
10,086. About how many tenants are there altogether on the estate that you hold in tack on this island?-I think about 150.
10,087. About how many of them are engaged in fis.h.i.+ng in your boats?-The whole of them, I think, who do fish for us.
10,088. Do you buy a large quant.i.ty of kelp?-I buy almost all that is bought in the islands.
10,089. How many women are employed at that?-They vary very much, because they just do it as they like themselves.
10,090. Is there a separate rent charged in your lease for the kelp sh.o.r.es?-It is included in the whole rent.
10,091. Do you pay a higher rent to Major Cameron under your lease than you receive from the fishermen?-Yes; we pay about 200 more than we receive, but that is for the scattalds and kelp sh.o.r.es, which the tenants have the use of on certain conditions.
10,092. Do you think the scattalds and kelp sh.o.r.es alone are worth that increased rent?-I have often wished that we had never entered into that lease, but when we have entered into it we must try to make the best of it.
10,093. Then you think the scattalds and kelp sh.o.r.es are not worth so much?-They might be worth that if they were taken from the tenants and developed into sheep-walks, but they are not worth that to us.
10,094. Have you not the power of making them into sheep-walks for yourselves?-Yes; but we have not done so.
10,095. The tenants still have the use of them upon certain conditions?-Yes.
10,096. Do they largely avail themselves of that right upon making that payment?-I am sorry to say that we lose about 100 a year by them.