7749. Did you know that he was in Mr. Adie"s debt at that time?- Yes.
7750. Do you know that Mr. Anderson took over the debt?-Yes.
7751. Is it a common thing here for a fish-merchant to take over the debt of a fisherman who leaves another employer and comes to him?-Yes.
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7752. Have you heard of that frequently among the fishermen?- Yes. It has been the practice so long as I can remember, except some time after Mr. Anderson came here, when it was not done.
Then, a fisherman who had got an advance from one merchant, would go to another and leave his balance unpaid, and therefore the old system was renewed again.
7753. Do you know the nature of the arrangement which was made when the system was renewed?-I do not.
7754. Do you know what the arrangement is?-I never saw the arrangement.
7755. I don"t suppose it was in writing?-I could not say.
7756. Do you know what the practice generally is now in such cases?-Yes. The merchant generally pays the man"s balance before giving him anything.
7757. That is to say, the new employer pays the man"s balance before agreeing with him to fish for him for the season?-Yes.
7758. Is the whole balance paid, or only a part of it?-That is just as they can arrange.
7759. Is there a rule that a man is not to be taken by new employer without his balance being paid to the old one?-I think that is generally understood now.
7760. Do you know over what district that arrangement prevails?
Do you know what fish-merchants do that?-I think it extends no further than to the men fishing at Stenness, and from Voe to Hillswick.
7761. Does that include Messrs. Adie, Mr. Anderson, and Mr.
Inkster?-Yes.
7762. Were you aware that that was always done when you were in Mr. Anderson"s employment?-No, it was not always done, but it was practised before I came into Mr. Anderson"s employment at all.
7763. But when you were in Mr. Anderson"s employment, was it not always done?-No, not always.
7764. You mean that the arrangement ceased for a while, and was renewed?-Yes.
7765. How long is it since it was renewed?-I cannot tell.
7766. Was it before William Inkster came to Mr. Anderson?- Yes, some time before that.
7767. Did you know that it was done in other cases besides Inkster"s?-Yes.
7768. Was it done in many cases?-I don"t remember of many.
7769. Was it commonly known among the fishermen that there was such a rule?-Yes, latterly, I believe, it was generally known.
Hillswick, Northmavine, January 12, 1872, JOHN ANDERSON (recalled).
7770. You showed me some of your books yesterday, in which I saw the name of William Inkster, Stenness and you explained to me that a large sum of money, upwards of 40, which stood against him in your books when he began to fish at the beginning of last year, was the continuation of a balance that had been against him for some years previously: is that so?-Yes. I would rather not mention names, unless you think it necessary, because I make it a rule with my shopmen that they are never to mention any man"s balance, whether it is due by him or not, on pain of being turned off.
7771. You told me that this large balance consisted partly of an account which Inkster had incurred to Mr. Adie at Voe, and which you had taken over when the man began to fish for you?-Yes.
7772. What was the amount of the original debt which you took over from Mr. Adie?-I think it came to about 20.
7773. Inkster left Mr. Adie, I understand, in consequence of his supplies being stopped?-I don"t know the reason exactly.
7774. But he came to fish for you?-Yes.
7775. How did it happen that you undertook his debt at the end of the first season he fished for you?-It was in consequence of an agreement that exists between Mr. Adie, Mr. Inkster of Brae, and me, with reference to each other"s fishermen.
7776. What is the nature of that agreement?-It was entered into just to protect ourselves from those men who want to escape from paying their debts. I think we"re bound to each other not to take the men without making some arrangement to see that their debts shall be paid.
7777. Do you undertake to pay the whole debt, or only a part of it, according to circ.u.mstances?-It is the whole debt.
7778. Was this a verbal arrangement?-No.
7779. Was it reduced to writing?-Yes.
7780. Have you got it?-I have not. I rather think I got a copy sent to me at one time but I think Mr. Adie has the extended agreement.
7781. Have you got a copy of it now?-I have not.
7782. Have you lost it?-No. It is very likely among my papers, but I cannot say. It is a long time since I came across it.
7783. Has this arrangement been of long standing? Do you remember the date of it?-I cannot exactly say the date. I think it must be from five to nine years since it was entered into, but I cannot speak accurately as to the date.
7784. Has the arrangement been acted upon?-Yes.
7785. When a fisherman leaves one master, and goes to another of those three, the debt due to the former master is generally paid by the new one?-Yes.
7786. You showed me in your invoice book an entry of the last purchase of oatmeal you had made from Messrs. Glenny, Aberdeen, for the purposes of your business, as follows:-"1871 June 19. 50 sacks oatmeal, sacks 50s., 100"?-Yes. The 50s. is the price of the sacks, to be returned or kept.
7787. A sack of oatmeal consists of 280 lbs.?-Yes.
7788. What is the selling price of a lispund?-5s. 4d.
7789. Has that been the price for some time?-It has been the price during the last season.
7790. You also showed me an invoice of flour from Messrs. J. & J.
Tod, Dalkeith:-"1871. October 2. 2 sacks extra superfine flour, at 44s., 4, 8s.;" and another invoice, containing these entries:- "October 19. 2 sacks No. 2 flour, at 45s., 4, 10s., 1 sack oatmeal, 2"?-Yes. The sacks in these invoices are charged separately.
7791. What is the selling price of the flour?-6s. 6d. per lispund.
Flour is also sold by the lispund here.
7792. Both the flour and the oatmeal in the invoice of October 19 were intended for the purposes of your business?-Yes. Besides the invoice price, there are freight and charges to be taken into account. The freight and landing would be 2s. per sack for the oatmeal. That is the steamer"s freight to Lerwick, and then it is brought by a small packet which comes round by Roenesshill when she has anything like a cargo. The small packet charges 1s.
6d. per sack; it is double freight coming round the hill; so that probably the freight and landing charges will be 3s. 6d. per sack.
7793. Are these all the charges?-I think so. There would also be insurance charged against me; it is at my risk when shipped. It was not insured in this case, but still that ought to be reckoned, because I ran the risk. I don"t know the rate of insurance. I have paid as high as 35s. per cent. of insurance from Leith, but I have got it much cheaper insured in Glasgow-I think 7s. 6d. per cent.