It is satisfactory to find one of the most enterprising and
intelligent merchants in Shetland stating a strong opinion in
favour of a system of monthly payments for fish. Mr. Sandison's
evidence on this subject, with which the other members of his firm
agree is as follows:-
'10,006. Do you think it would be possible to introduce any
system by which the settlement should not be made at such long
intervals?-I have considered the matter seriously since the Truck
Commission was first spoken about, and I have come to the settled
conviction that it would be very much better for the curer to pay
monthly in cash.'
'10,007. Would that payment be according to the quantity of fish
delivered, or by way of wages, or partially both?-There are two
reasons why I think wages would not do. In the first place, the
fishermen would not like to take wages, because if they make a
good fishing they would not get so much as they do now; and, in
the second place, I am sorry to say that with the greater part of
them, if they got wages they would not fish half so much.'
'10,008. Then what system would you suggest?-I think the right
system is just to fix a price at the beginning of the year of so much
per cwt. for green fish, and pay it monthly or fortnightly in cash as
may be agreed upon.'
'10,009. Do you think it likely from your experience that the
fishermen would agree to that?-Two years ago in North Yell,
when I settled with the fishermen there, I urged the men to take
cash payments, because we had no store there, and it was an
inconvenience for us to send goods. We had to employ a man
and pay him, which cost us something. But I found that they all
declined my proposal. In the same year, 1870, I tried to engage
our fishermen in the south of Unst and in Yell at a fixed price, and
I did so. Every fisherman who went out in the south end of Unst
and Yell that year was engaged at 7s. per cwt. I made that bargain
in December in writing; but when settling time came we could
afford to pay them 7s. 3d., and I did so, according to the previous
practice. I might have pocketed £30 by that transaction; but if I
had done so, the fishermen would have thought I had treated them
dishonestly.'
'10,010. Were they going to grumble?-I have no doubt some of
them would have grumbled if they had not got the additional price.
I would not say that all of them would have grumbled, because
there are some of our fishermen who are very intelligent and very
reasonable men, and who would have understood the thing, and
said that a bargain was a bargain.'