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ment of Canada. Some of the governments of the provinces of Canada still claim to be entitled to share this’ latter sum on the ground that the inshore fisheries were owned by the province, not having been transferred to Canada by the British North America act or terms of union.

Under the arrangements entered into in advance of legislation it was understood that the United States government would re- fund the duties paid into their treasury on fish and fish oil in the year 1871 and the United States fishermen were granted the liberty to fish in the territorial waters of this Island on the assurance that the President would ask Congress to refund these duties, but the President subsequently declined to carry this out on the ground that the pro- posal contemplated the united actions of all the British North America provinces, which was not had. The government of Canada subsequently paid the claims of those who had exported fish to the United States and paid the duty, and although at the time a few were not refunded because they were not British subjects, it is highly creditable to the country that recently this phase of the ques- tion has not been adhered to and that a re- fund has been made to all, including United States citizens resident here engaged in this enterprise, thus showing that the civil rights of foreigners are treated and respected equally with our own. Over fifty thousand dollars in claims for refund of such duties were proved. about half being that of'one firm at Tignish. This shows what a great industry for the province this branch of fish- eries alone was at that time.

Owing to the termination of this treaty the Dominion govemment commisioned half a dozen cruisers at great expense to protect the fisheries of the maritime provinces. The

PAST AND PRESENT OF

United States government again imposed duties of two dollars a barrel on mackerel and one dollar a barrel on herring in retalia— tion. No other foreign nation interferes with our fisheries. A number of United States fishing vessels take out modus vivendi licenses. So our international relations stand at present.

Our people are throwing off the indiffer- ence to treasure which the world prizes highly and are appropriating and attempting to maintain and develop the resources of the surrounding seas which providence has so abundantly enriched. There are many ques- tions to engage the attention of thoughtful public men. Our public representatives have given attention especially since 1900 to the more modern development of the fisheries.

In 1903 a marine biological station car- ried on fishing researches at Malpeque and spent a second season there in 1904. The oyster grounds, including the valuable Cur- tain Island beds, formed the main field of re— search, the spawning. life history and hab- its of the oyster have been investigated and tests made of various methods of oyster cul- tivation. New methods of laying the oysters and of working oyster areas have been tried practically and the peculiarities and embry- ology of the oyster have been looked into. To ascertain feasible methods of increasing. the productiveness and value of oyster beds is the object. An oyster bed comprising ten acres was fomled at Murray Harbor by the Dominion government in 1901 with good results. Some years over twenty thousand barrels were secured in the different bays and rivers of the province, at a value of over eighty thousand dollars. This natural re- source is of great importance and provincial legislation is enacted this year so that areas for new beds may be granted. Other pro-