9585. You are a merchant at Gossaburgh?-Yes.
9586. Do you cure fish?-A few.
9587. How many boats had you last year?-I had no boats at all. I deal altogether in ready money. I pay ready cash for all that is brought to me, but I only do in that way on a small scale. I have no bondmen, and I wish for no bondmen.
9588. Do you pay for the fish as they are delivered?-Yes; cash down.
9589. Do you purchase generally from men who are fishing promiscuously along the coast?-Yes.
9590. Do you buy from men who are engaged to other merchants?-No. There are it few small boats that fish along the shore, and when they come along the shore with their fish I buy them.
9591. How do you fix the price of the green fish which you buy from them?-I fix it from the merchants' price. Supposing I can get £20 in cash for dry fish, I consider that I can give about 7s. per cwt. for the same fish green, calculating 21/4 of green to 1 cwt. of dry.
9592. Do you think that kind of business might be carried on on a large scale?-I think it could; and am sure it would be much better for the men. I have been twelve years in the country, and I have found that by paying ready money I have got more custom.
9593. Have you no credit transactions at all?-Yes. I try to oblige people at times when they want goods.
9594. But you have no security in the shape of fish which you are to receive?-No.