653. To whom do you sell the two-thirds of the oil?-Generally to
merchants in Lerwick.
654. How are you paid for that?-Not very well at the present
time.
655. Are you paid in money?-Yes; in cash. Of course it comes
through the proprietor's hands.
656. Does it enter into your annual accounting with the
proprietor?-Yes.
657. The proprietor gets the whole money for the oil, retains his
third, and hands you over or puts to your credit the remaining
two-thirds?-Yes. Of course if a man requires the money to clear
his way with the proprietor, it answers that end. If not, then the
proprietors pass over the money to him.
658. Do you really think that if the proprietor had no store there,
and you could buy your dry goods and provisions from anybody
you like, you would be better off with respect to what you buy?-
No; we could not do without the proprietor's store, because, if we
have to give our earnings to the proprietor, we are obliged to take
goods from his store in return.
659. But supposing you had liberty to sell your fish where you
pleased, and to buy your goods where you pleased, do you think
you would be any better off than you are?-Yes. There is a man
named Laurence Leslie who went to the fishing in the same boat
with me last summer. He lives in Lerwick, and was a free man,
and he dried his fish for himself, and after he had paid for salt and
curing he had about £5 more than any of us.
660. Do you mean that he had about £5 more from the home
fishing than you had?-Yes.
661. Can you tell now the proceeds of your last summer's
fishing?- We will be paid the price that has been paid already in the country.
662. But you don't know yet what you are to get?-No; Mr. Bruce
said at the commencement that he would give us the currency of
the country. Now Mr. Bruce is one of the greatest fish-dealers in
the country, and of course he has it so far in his power to make the
currency; but it is likely we will get the same as the other
merchants are paying.
663. Then, in speaking of the sum which Leslie has earned more
than you, you are calculating in this way: you know the price
which other merchants have paid, and you know the quantity you
have delivered?-Yes; and we know in that way what the amount
will be.
664. What do you think the amount of your take will be?-About
£18.
665. You think your fishing for the whole of last season will be
£18, at the prices which are going in Lerwick?-Yes.