Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 10

'8699. When did you know last? Have you made your settlement this year?-Yes.'

'8700. Don't you know what you were charged for meal then?- No.'

'8701. Do you ask the price of your meal as you buy it?- Sometimes; but we must take it, whatever it is, because we have no money to purchase it with elsewhere.'

'8702. Whose fault is that?-I don't know.'

'8703. Is it the merchant's fault?-I cannot say that it is.'

[C. Nicholson, 8698.]

THE RETURNS AND TABLES.

It was for the purpose of ascertaining the area and degree of debt, as well as the degree to which truck prevails in the various districts of Shetland, that a series of questions was sent, some time after the inquiry had been opened, to most of the fish-merchants in Shetland. The answers to these questions must have cost in the larger establishments a good deal of time and trouble, which I am bound to say was in most cases ungrudgingly bestowed. The returns for the home fishing of 1867 (Table I.) are furnished by merchants, who, according to the returns made to the Fishery Board, produced more than four-fifths of the whole cure from that fishery in that year. They show that out of 1913 fishermen in their employment, 596 were indebted at the settlement of 1866, and 1832 at that of 1867, showing an average debt of 6, 11s. per man in 1866, and 6, 13s. 8d. per man in 1867. In the same year the total sum due to their fishermen by the eighteen curers making returns was 19,362, 17s. 23/4d., and the total amount received by the men from the curers was 21,456, 5s. 10d., which resulted, according to the 10th column, in an increase of the debt by 1,631, 9s. 8d. The goods supplied in account by these curers to fishermen in 1867 amounted to 10,860, 1s. 41/2d., rather more than a fourth being charged to the crews for fishing expenses. Thus rather more than one half of the total payments were made in goods.

The returns for 1871 (Table II.) were made by the same merchants, with the exception of two who had not settled for that year, and represent, according to the Fishery Board returns, nearly three fourths of the total cure of the year. Out of 1615 fishermen, 644 were indebted in a total amount of 5,026, 19s. 13/4d., or an average sum per man of 7, 13s. 33/4d. at the settlement of 1870; and 614 were indebted in a total amount of 4,437, 1s. 21/2d., or an average sum per man of 7, 4s. 61/4d. at the settlement of 1871.

The total amount due to their fishermen by these fifteen curers was 20,759, 17s, 33/4d., and the total amount which the men got from them was 20,579, 14s. 13/4d. The debt was reduced by 589, 18s.

111/4d. The goods supplied in account were 8,927, 2s. 10d., 2,574, 12s. 51/2d. being for fishing expenses. Thus, in this prosperous year, considerably less than a half of the whole earnings of the fishermen were received in goods. In 1867 about three fourths, in 1871 about a half, of the cash paid was paid before settlement.

Table III., for the Faroe fishing of 1867, applies to 509 men out of 699 who were engaged in that fishery in smacks belonging to Shetland curers. The average debt of 219 debtors in 1866 was 4, 13s. 2d., and of 125 debtors in 1867, 4, 11s. 31/2d. The total amount credited to the men was 6,764, 16s. 6d., and 6,723, 18s.

31/2d. was paid to them, of which 3,120, 14s. 9d., or less than half, was paid in goods.

In 1871 (Table IV.) the returns apply to 605 men out of 816 engaged in Shetland smacks in that year. Of these, 53 debtors in 1870 owed on the average 3, 8s. 93/4d each, and in 1871, 240 debtors owed 4, 6s. 91/4d. each. They had got altogether 8,177, 2s. 1d., or about 770 more than was due to them; and of that sum, 4, 146, 16s. 2d., or one half, was paid in truck.

Tables V. and VI. are Tables I. and II. in a different form, showing more clearly the total debits and credits of the men. They also show how accurately, upon the whole, the returns have been made up. Certain discrepancies are shown by the figures in the column ent.i.tled 'Amount indebted in excess of statement.' These may be accounted for in various ways;-where the discrepancy is small, by trivial errors in making the returns; where it is greater, by the omission from the returns of transactions of a less usual character, sales of cloth, which were not supposed to be within the questions asked; and in the two cases where the difference is largest, it may be conjectured that the large amount of debt may have been reduced by drafts upon secret bank accounts or h.o.a.rds, on sons at sea, or on the earnings of the female members of the debtors' families.

These Tables show that from one third to one half of the fishermen are in debt to the curers each year at the time of settlement, after their fishing has been credited to them. It is not less true, as shown by the evidence, that during the rest of the year nearly the whole of them are in debt to the curers, because the goods and advances are debited to them as they get them, while the credit for fish only comes at the end of the year.

TABLE I.--HOME FISHING--SEASON 1867. [Page 25]

1. No. of Fishermen employed

2. Amount of Goods debited to Fishermen

3. Cash advanced before Settlement

5. Gross Sum credited to Men for Fish

6. Gross Sum credited to them for Stock, etc.

7. Cash due to Fishermen at Settlement

8. Cash paid to them at Settlement.

9.1. No. of Fishermen indebted at Settlement of 1866

9.2. Total Debts.

10.1 No. of Fishermen indebted at Settlement of 1866

10.2. Total Debts.

1222333 A1911114171162510 *B79576189791911 C483491881/41181231/2 D461648254107 *E244765101280136 *F,18010065153765 G,23950035180 *H,9524821153118 J,5242814111/2120091/2 K,2812415101500 *L,30761651/4000 *M,122881031/219056 *N18948071161715 O,5828812917234 *P,2097881621/294691?

?Q,31149591/279156 R,7035451128189 ?S,1221600822125 ?T,965638715367 19138617531/24529169

444555666 A367152594281/27386101/2 *B881097691801/231093/4 C51150338141/49249 D69169292814344 *e46510022331010000 *F,126008631010213130 G,000--208102000 *H,3981086602304140 J,1621334158101/21141281/2 K,190028660000 *L,450016418000 *M,292368781713661161/2 *N3311417631261/21001310 O,00065041000 *P,000--20631801/2284001/2 ?Q,129717451150491/2 R,551465207032710 ?S,5613510546111/2000 ?T,591798611189180 224216116,9991481/42463261/4

7778889.1 A1077111144471114 *B163503/4248731/431 C32421/2301021/217 D85331/285331/211 *e834638346325 *F,000000--118 G,1061701061706 *H,342713427127 J,341141/22810029 K,133991/215917106 *L,87523/487523/46 *M,2651801/22941711/267 *N484411/24798122 O,2161481/22161481/222 *P,693056930515 ?Q,21179211796 R,125381253832 ?S,616561/2616561/27 ?T,256922519235 5576471/26066781/2596

9.29.29.210.110.210.210.2 A116088143137957 *B10191/450294893/4 C271741/23515017101/2 D29101867741/2 *e591197217219 *F,78300141948183 G,45194987197 *H,15922211371111 J,220117384011231/2 K,13041/2826801/2 *L,25751/47261463/4 *M,538331/27673707 *N74180271221581/2 O,195111119197167 *P,7078411501631/2 ?Q,916416481431/2 R,1011755021347 ?S,20165924102 ?T,292275237279 3929248325560120

*See Note (*) on table II., Home Fishing, 1871.

? This includes the Herring fishing.

? Includes $540, 9s. of Rents paid.

-- Included in No. 2.

Although a few would have cash to get, yet the supplies to the whole exceeded their earnings by about 536, 7s. 8d.

TABLE II.--HOME FISHING--SEASON 1871. [Page 26]

1. No. of Fishermen employed

2. Amount of Goods debited to Fishermen.

3. Cash advanced before Settlement.

4. Fishing Expenses charged to the Men.

5. Gross Sum credited to them for Fish.

6. Gross Sum credited to them for Stock, etc.

7. Cash due to them at Settlement.

8. Cash paid to them at Settlement

9.1No. of Fishermen indebted at Settlement of 1870

9.2 Total Debts

10.1. No. of Fishermen indebted at Settlement of 1871

10.2. Total Debts

1222333 A182911195809168 *B7940681/41371541/2 *C463081611031961/2 D100411158249180 *E2606340625104 *F,1447352264031 G,23600040170 *H,103260124182161 J,602791161/211017101/2 K,126511111/22300 Q142479174371115 *M,14711361761/227680 O,36108655506 *N185345691/25601101/2 S661071481101411/2 *L30100911 161563521041/43924901/2

*?U,150112531658521/2 *?T,1261042101135626 *?P,281788121/2104819111/2 22029308563/459871681/2