8783. Is it mostly Lord Zetland"s tenants who fish for Messrs. Hay in Fetlar?-I think not.
8784. Do some of Lady Nicholson"s tenants fish for them also?- Yes; I should think about half-and-half.
8785. Are there any other proprietors in Fetlar than Lord Zetland and Lady Nicholson?-Not for the fishermen. There are other proprietors in the island, but none of their tenants fish.
8786. I see here, under date June 1, 1871, an entry against George Gaunson, "Cash for penalty per current account, 4, 2s. 2d.:" what does that mean?-He was summoned to court for some wrecked timber that he was in possession of, and that was his penalty, which was paid by me for him.
8787. You entered that to his debit?-Yes. What meant by "current account" is, that I paid the money at Lerwick, and it was charged to me at current account, and I gave Hay & Co.
credit for it in my book at Fetlar.
8788. How many tons of dry fish did you sell from Fetlar last year?-We sold the following quant.i.ties for 1871:
Tons.Cwt.Qrs.Lbs.
Ling,322311 Tusk,52122 Cod,3163 17 Saith,018215
8789. Had you only ten boats" crews fishing for you last season?- There were eleven boats.
8790. Did they contain sixty-six men, or were some of them smaller boats?-Some of them were smaller boats, with only five men. For instance, in Laurence Donaldson"s boat, although there were only six men, there were five shares, because two boys count for a share.
8791. How many women and boys had you employed in curing at Fetlar?-We had eight men and boys-no women.
8792. Have the beach boys got accounts in the ledger also?-Yes.
They are all in one place. [Shows.]
8793. The first is Laurence Brown. His fee was 10s., and, after debiting his out-takes, he received 7s. 31/2d. in cash in full?-Yes.
8794. The next is John Sinclair, jun.; after debiting his out-takes, he received 8s. 4d. in cash?-Yes.
8795. The next is John Coutts, who received 9s. 6d.?-Yes.
8796. The next is James Laurenson; his fee was only 5s., and he received 14s. 11/2d. in cash?-Yes.
8797. The next is Arthur James Tulloch; his fee was 16s., and he received 6s. 21/2d.?-Yes; he was only employed during part of the season. I think I had eight besides him.
8798. The next is Peter Sinclair; he had a fee of 10s., and, after deducting his out-takes, he received 6d. in cash in full, but he had received 19s. 6d. in cash during the season?-Yes.
8799. The next is George Laurenson; his fee was 4 and he received 1, 14s. 6d. in cash at settlement, and sundry small sums in cash have been paid to him in the course of the year?- Yes. He was a young lad, about sixteen years of age, I think.
8800. The next is Robert Johnston; his fee was 15s., and he received 7s. 1d. in cash at settlement, having received 5s. 4d.
in cash during the season?-Yes.
8801. The next is George Donaldson; his fee was 10s. and he received 9s. 1d. in cash at settlement?-Yes.
8802. He seems to have got a number of loaves and biscuit?-Yes.
His supplies were almost entirely for food.
8803. There are also the accounts of two men here; one of them is Magnus Brown. Is he one of your princ.i.p.al curers?-Yes.
8804. His fee, called beach-fee was 8, 5s., and he received 17s. 41/2d. in cash at settlement?-Yes. He received 1 at the commencement, and the next entry is 6s. 9d. paid for purchase at sale. That was purchase at a sale of wreck, which was paid for him by me, and was the same as cash. Including that purchase at the sale, he received about 30s. in cash in the course of the season.
8805. The next is Arthur N. Henderson: was the other beach-man?-Yes.
8806. His fee was 5; he received 1, 6s. 3d. in cash at settlement, and 4s. 6d. was paid to him during the season?-Yes.
8807. Were these all your beach people?-Yes.
8808. Why are they not paid weekly wages?-They could have it in that way if they wanted it. It would be all the same to us; I don"t see any difference.
8809. Why do they not want it?-I don"t think there is any particular reason, except that they don"t wish it in that way.
8810. Do you think they would rather have it settled for at the end of the year?-I think so.
8811. Are not the people that Messrs. Hay employ in the curing at Lerwick paid weekly wages?-Yes.
8812. But at all the stations, I suppose, they are paid by beach fees?-Yes; and these are paid at the end of the year.
8813. The books which you keep at Fetlar are, first, the wet fish book, in which each boat"s crew has the amount of each delivery of fish entered?-Yes.
8814. Then you have another fish book showing the amount of dry fish shipped by your different vessels?-Yes; that book [showing]
is for the season of 1871.
8815. Do you begin to ship so early as June?-Yes. The men generally catch a few fish in winter now, and these are shipped first. The wet fish that are caught in winter are not in the book I have brought.
8816. Have you a separate book for your winter fish?-Yes.
8817. What quant.i.ty of winter fish do you generally sell?-I cannot say exactly; but for about two years I have had only about 2 or 21/2 tons of dry fish. They are cured along with the first fish caught in the spring, and sent down.
8818. Then the shipment on June 6th of 4 tons 7 cwt. of ling will include some summer fish as well?-Yes, spring fish.
8819. The only other book you keep is the ledger?-Yes, and the goods account book-a book for the goods and the expenses on the fish-curing.
8820. How do you keep your goods account book?-I enter every invoice as it comes from Lerwick, and against them I enter my returns.
8821. All your sales of goods are entered under the names of the parties to whom they are sold?-Yes.
8822. And that is the only entry of sales you make?-Yes. We don"t enter what we get ready money for.
8823. You do not keep a waste day-book?-No.
8824. How do you balance the accounts with your fishermen?- The ledger will show.
8825. Is that done by you, or by some one from, Lerwick?- Always by some one from Lerwick.
8826. How long does it generally take to get all your fishermen settled with?-Not long; I think about three days.
8827. Some one comes from Lerwick, and the fishermen come to the office and are settled with in his presence and in yours?-Yes.
8828. Are the accounts read over to the men, or do they generally have a pa.s.s-book?-They are generally read over. Some carry a pa.s.s-book, and some do not.