9955. Don't you think the settlement with the fishermen is delayed too long after the fishing season is over?-I have no doubt it is delayed long enough; but perhaps sometimes it is a long time before the merchants get paid for their fish, and that may prevent them from making the settlement earlier.
9956. Do you mean that the settlement is delayed until the merchant realizes the price of his fish?-I understand that is very often the case.
9957. So that, in that view, the merchant is really to some extent trading on the fishermen's capital?-Yes, while it is in his possession; but very often he has not a long time of it, because I understand he generally sells his fish on credit, and it is some time before he is paid.
9958. But a man who sells upon credit in that way requires some capital to enable him to carry on his business?-Yes.
9959. And in this case it is really the fishermen's capital that is being traded upon; that is to say, the fisherman has not received payment for his fish, and that money which he ought to have received for his fish is in the hands of the merchant?-But very often a fisherman has taken up the amount of his fishing before the settlement.
9960. He may have done so in goods?-Yes.
9961. Is that the case with most of them?-It is the case with a good many, and some of them perhaps have overdrawn their account.
9962. Then in that case the merchant is really advancing the price of the fish in goods beforehand?-Yes.
9963. Would it not be as easy for the merchant, and better for the fishermen to make the same advance to them in the course of the season in cash?-I suppose so.
9964. Only the merchant has a profit on the goods under the present system?-Of course he has.