837. Did you on that occasion ask for money for the fish you
delivered?-The last time I went up, after taking a number of
small things that I was requiring, there was a shilling due to me on
the fish which I had delivered, and I asked for it. Mr. Tulloch said
that I knew it was not the custom to give money. I said I knew that
too well, but that it could not affect him very much to give me a
few pence, as he had got much more from me in the course of the
year. He hung on for a little bit and then put his hand on the
counter and gave it to me; but he bade me remember it was to be
the last.
838. You say the amount of your account is made up in the
beginning of the year: how did you know that the cost of the
provisions you were getting at the time you have now mentioned
came to within 1s. of what was due?-There is a misunderstanding
between us there. We have an opportunity of taking goods out of
their stores; but when we come to their store at Scalloway with a
little fish, we get goods from them there, without them entering
into the annual settlement. That is not the proper place where we
deliver our fish to Messrs. Hay-the proper place is in the island
of Burra itself, but we have a chance of coming to Scalloway
occasionally when we have got a few small fish, and we get goods
home with us.
839. Then, when you want goods, you take the fish to
Scalloway?-Yes, but we can also get goods there, although we
deliver the fish at the proper place in Burra.
840. In that case, do you get a line from the manager at Burra
stating that you have delivered so much fish?-No.
841. Then how do they know to allow you goods?-When we take
the fish up to the store at Scalloway, we only get goods for their
exact value. In the case I have mentioned I got goods up to the
value of my fish within a shilling.
842. Did you not say you could also get goods at Scalloway
although you delivered the fish at Burra?-Yes; that is on account
of the fish which we give to the local factor.
843. And the goods you get in that case go to the general account
for the whole year?-Yes.
844. Then those which you deliver at Scalloway are not put into
the general account at all?-No.
845. That is to say, you are at liberty to deliver your fish elsewhere
than to the factor at Burra?-Yes.
846. But the only place where you are at liberty to deliver them, if
you do not deliver them to the factor in Burra, is to the store at
Scalloway?-Yes.
847. And you take them there if you want a supply of goods?-
Yes.
848. Is there any reason for preferring that way of dealing?-We
have none.
849. But have you any reason for preferring to take the fish to
Scalloway and getting the goods, rather than delivering them to the
factor at Burra and having the goods entered in your general
account?-We have then got the pleasure of seeing our fish paid
for all at once. That is all the advantage we have about it, so far as
I know.
850. Have you a chance of getting more money in hand if you take
the fish to Scalloway?-Not one farthing more. I have got none
this year.
851. But on the other system you may still get an advance of
money if you ask for it?-Yes; I believe I might get some money if
I wanted it.
852. Would you get it from the factor at Burra, or at Scalloway or
Lerwick?-So far as I am aware, I would only get it at Lerwick.
853. Do you purchase in that way, from Messrs. Hay, all your
provisions and clothing, and everything you want for the support
of your families?-As a general thing over the islands, it is only
from them we can get them. It is only from them we need ask
them, because we have no power to sell the labour of our hands to
any one else.
854. And you have no credit with any one else?-Some of us
would have credit; but the system prevents us from getting credit,
because we could not pay the parties from whom we got the goods.
855. But if these parties knew that you were getting money from
Messrs. Hay for your fish, would it not be possible for you to get
the money from Messrs. Hay, and with it to pay the other
dealers?-That may be done no doubt on a very small scale, for
anything I know. I believe it is done, to a certain extent, by
persons who get a few pence or a few pounds from Messrs. Hay;
but it is only a few of the men who are able to deal in that way.
856. You say in your letter that you don't know the prices you are
to get for your fish until the end of the year: is that so?-Yes, it is
so.
857. Messrs. Hay & Co. do not fix the price until what time of the
year?-They do not fix it until we settle-about a month after the
New Year.
858. So that you don't know before then what you are to get?-We
never do.
859. Have you ever been to agree to fish at a certain price per
cwt.?-I never was asked to agree to that during the whole
fourteen years I have served them.
860. Would you like to have a certain price per cwt. [Page 18]
fixed before the commencement of the season?-We should like
that well enough if we had power ourselves to inquire after it, but
we should not like it if it was to be left in the hands of another who
had power to make the price what he pleased.
861. You also say, in your letter, 'If we capture whales, we have to
pay one-third of the proceeds to the landlord.' Is that a frequent
source of profit to you in Shetland?-It is not, a very frequent
source. It is occasional, but not frequent.
862. What is your objection to that system?-We think that as we
the fishermen, drive the whales ashore, and they are all flinched
and wrought below high-water mark, we have a right to the whole
proceeds. We think the proprietor has no right to anything at all,
any more than he has to the fish that come ashore in our boats.
863. But when you get the whales you get two-thirds of the oil?-
We do.
864. And you can sell that in any market you like-I believe we
can.