Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 401

JOHNSTON, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 300), is a merchant at Bridge of Walls, Sandsting, 12,219; business is the same as that of Mr. Georgeson, with the exception that he has a spirit and grocery licence, 12,226; spirits are always sold for cash, 12,228; has accounts with a number of fishermen, 12,230; buys no fish, 12,236; has no security except the personal credit of the men, 12,240; thinks men have complete liberty in fishing, 12,247.

JOHNSTON, Magnus (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 191), is a shopkeeper at Tofts, near Mossbank, 7843; deals in tea, tobacco, and sugar, and buys fish, 7844; cures it himself, 7845; pays in cash, 7851; formerly at Faroe fishing, 7860; men were of opinion that they were not always allowed a fair price, 7869; meal, 7897; thinks long payments and credit cause improvidence, 7931.

JOHNSTON, Peter (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 248), registrar of Baltasound, lives at Balliasta, 10,206; formerly a fisherman, 10,207; men entirely free to fish then, 10,208; has a farm now, 10,216; deals at any shop, and pays ready money, 10,217.

JOHNSTONE, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 62), merchant in Lerwick, 2822; pays knitters generally in goods, but sometimes gives a little money, 2827; there is often no profit, and sometimes a loss, on hosiery, 2842-2860; would prefer cash payments, 2863; price of goods would be reduced, 2866; does not give lines, 2875; lines used as a currency, 2880; never heard of goods being taken from shop and sold to obtain cash, 2896; will sell any yarn, except Shetland yarn, for either cash or goods, 2897; merchants do not sell it, 2899, 2990.

KELP, 5262, 6325, 6353, 6463, 6628, 6851, 7176, 7986, 8838, 8973, 9349, 10,088, 13,293, 13,814, 14,143.

KNITTERS, Getting of worsted by, 2897, 11,579.

Selling or bartering of goods or lines by, 236, 986, 993, 1487, 1528, 1592, 1627, 1879, 2190, 2587, 2896, 3516, 3599, 4112, 4147, 4226, 6697, 11,475, 11,559, 11,578, 11,601, 11,637, 11,698, 11,759, 11,998, 12,037, 14,053, 15,336, 15,845, 16,657.

Whether much in debt, 2350, 2378.

Amount of tea sold to, 2437, 3205, 6696,11,578, 11,764.

LAURENSON, Arthur (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 41), is a dealer in hosiery in Lerwick, 2120; and partner in the oldest firm of merchants there, 2121; buys knitted goods, and gives wool out to be knitted, but princ.i.p.ally the former, 2126; pays in goods, 2127-2130; the practice of barter is of long continuance in Shetland, 2132; and that of part payment in cash very recent, 2133-2136; never refuses to give cash, 2142; advances are often made, 2150; sometimes pays the whole value of hosiery in cash, 2168; two prices, cash and goods, 2171-2173; cash system would prevent dealers from taking knitted work so readily as at present, as they would then buy only what they actually required, 2177; but yet thinks the cash system would ultimately be advantageous to all, 2179, 2204, 2248; as it would be simpler, 2180; as a general rule, believes women cannot get cash, 2184; merchants have no profit on hosiery, but only on the drapery goods sold to the workers, 2199; and often sell particular articles of hosiery at a loss, 2203; system of pa.s.s-books, 2213-2241; does not give lines, 2235; wool supply, 2288; always gives yarn for goods, 2291, 2292; but believes some merchants do not, 2293; because they have little or no profit on it, 2297-2312; yarn only kept by dealers for the use of their own knitters, 2303; merchants have no hold over knitters, 2310; regular tariff of prices cannot be made, owing to the differences of workmanship and pattern, 2327; knitters are seldom much in debt, 2359, 2851.

LAURENSON, Arthur (recalled, p. 406). States, with reference to the evidence of Mr. Walker (p. 402), that he always deals with first-cla.s.s houses, 16,029.

LAURENSON, James (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 414) seaman at Mews, Dunrossness, and serves in the Naval Reserve, 16,380; has mostly gone south, 16,382; was two years at the ling fishing, 16,384; dealt with merchant curer only for fishing material, 16,385; had no advances, 16,386; but thinks he would have got them if he had asked, 16,387.

LAURENSON, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 237), is a fisherman at Burrafirth, 9816; and tenant, 9817; not bound to fish, 9819; has no pa.s.s-book, 9827; winter fish is paid on delivery in cash and goods, 9887, 9890; thinks meal and flour at store sometimes not very good, 9899.

LAURENSON, Morgan (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 174), is a merchant at Lochend, 7274; deals in drapery and provisions, 7275; employs a few fishermen, 7276; deals in hosiery and pays in goods, 7291; is seldom asked to give cash, 7295; gives lines rarely, 7299, 7300; never refused to give small sums in cash to a regular knitter, 7304; occasionally buys special articles for cash, 7305; giving a lower price, women unwilling to take cash, 7306; there is no profit on hosiery, 7314; wool is very scarce, 7317; smuggling of fish is very slightly carried on, 7336; men much indebted to merchant often change their employer, 7354; it is not the interest of the merchant to let debt be incurred, 7885.

LAURENSON, Simon (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 10).

Corroborates Andrew Tulloch (p. 9), 542, 543; wishes freedom in fishing, 544; does not know exactly what landlord's system is, but knows the tenants under him are not satisfied, 547.

LAURENSON, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 393), seaman in Bressay, has been at sealing and whaling for thirty-six years, latterly paid at Custom-house, 15,600; previously he could get no clear account the state of his account, 15,601; corroborates Francis Gifford (p. 391); knows that indebted men get a ship more easily than others, 15,629.

LEASES, 621, 800, 919, 4258, 6749, 8033, 10,156, 12,252, 14,816, 15,124.

-desirable, 4413, 6749, 8067, 16,461.

-Men cannot get, 764.

LEASK, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 25) fisherman at Channerwick, 1221; and yearly tenant, 1223, 1224; was bound for the home fishing, but not for others, 1250; the price of fish was fixed by the merchant (Robert Mouat), 1258; and paid in goods, 1276-1287; could not get money from him, 1294; sometimes sold goods got at store to obtain money, 1290; produce of farms had to be sold to tacksman, 1295; 1300; is now under a new merchant, and is not so badly used, 1353, 1354; previously the people were subjected to great tyranny, 1327-1352; knitting paid in goods, 1366; cannot get money, 1371.

LEASK, Joseph (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence p. 345, is one of the largest employers in the Faroe trade and fish-curers in Shetland, 13,822; corroborates Mr William Robertson (pp. 265, 338), 13,823; small fish-curers can only exceptionally gethigher prices, 12,827.

LEISK, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 366), is a partner of Leisk & Sandison, merchants and shipping agents, Lerwick, 14,589; previously employed by Mr George Reid Tait, now retired, 14,590; agrees generally with Mr. Tait (p. 363) as to the way in which seamen are discharged and their wages paid, 14,593; paid in cash, without any deductions even of allotments, 14,595; allotments chiefly paid in cash, 14,605; men generally pay their accounts on receiving their wages--only remembers one case of defalcation, 14,628; only young hands are indebted to the full amount of their pay, 14,634; men are free to go to any shop they please for goods, 14,671.

LESLIE, Adam, junior (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 121), fisherman at Toab, 4877; corroborates previous witnesses as to the holding of land and fish, 4879; has no pa.s.s-book, 4881; always gets money if he wishes, 4885; thinks goods dearer at store, 4887.

LESLIE, George (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 114), is a [Page 448]

in the fisherman at Dunrossness, 4610; and lives with his father, who is a tenant of land, 4611; is bound to fish, 4612; corroborates William Goudie (p. 105) and others, 4613; prices are much higher at store, 4614; is at liberty to deal anywhere, 4627.

LESLIE, Henry (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 126), is a fisherman and tenant at Gord, 5122; bound to fish for sixty years past, 5127; obligation to fish has always been part of the condition of holding land, 5133.

LESLIE, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 15), is a fisherman at Lerwick, 739; corroborates Laurence Mail (p. 11), 742.

LESLIE, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 125), fisherman, and lives with his father, who is a tenant at Hillwill, 5072; is bound to fish, 5077; beach boys, 5086; knitting paid in goods--tweeds refused in exchange for hosiery, 5093.

LEWIS, James (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 432), is a grocer and wine merchant in Canongate, Edinburgh, for nearly forty years, 16,816; has examined samples sent to him, 16,818; and gives in a report of their value, 16,819; thinks all the articles overcharged, 16,884.

LIBERTY Money, 625, 764, 786, 1012, 1130, 1211, 4483, 4510, 4948, 5060, 8909, 12,306, 13,372, 13,430, 13,552, 15,100.

LINES given to knitters, 248, 257, 329, 411, 1464, 1589, 1679, 1764, 1875, 1889, 1955, 1985, 2190, 2502, 2581, 2694, 2785, 2875, 3070, 3250, 3343, 3445, 3573, 3617, 4099, 6700, 7299, 9657, 9666, 9769, 9787, 10,452, 11,497, 11,637, 11,623, 12,881, 14,047, 15,812.

LINES to day labourers, 10,424, 10,735.

LING Fishery and price of ling, statements as to, 459, 744, 879, 2502, 3623, 6523, 9138, 9238, 9308, 9611, 11,347, 11,393, 11,909, 11,957, 12,089, 12,967, 13,645, 13,648, 13,813, 13,887, 14,885, 15,730, 16,384, 16,429, 16,466.

LINKLATER, Hugh (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 64), merchant in Lerwick, 2905; buys knitted goods, 2906; sells drapery, 2909; corroborates Mr. Laurenson generally, 2913; deals very little in hosiery, 2914; generally sells drapery for cash, 2918.

LINKLATER, Robert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 58), merchant in Lerwick, 2666; deals in hosiery, and keeps a stock of drapery and tea, 2667; conducts his business in a somewhat similar manner to Mr. Robert Sinclair (p. 49), 2669; gives wool to be knitted, and buys from knitters, 2670; pays princ.i.p.ally in goods, 2671, 2674; money only given exceptionally, 2675; most knitters have pa.s.s-books, 2676; never refuses money, 2684-2692; gives no lines, 2694; money is seldom asked for, 2716; two prices for cash and goods, 2726; gets a small profit on hosiery, 2728, 2730; it is difficult to procure Shetland wool, 2752; does not sell it, 2753; there is often no profit, and occasionally loss, on hosiery, 2758, 2760.

LONG Settlements, 501, 807, 4782, 5981, 9921, 10,702, 11,891.

-Men contented with, 5853.

-Men discontented with; 693, 1409, 9596.

M'LACHLAN, George (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 334), is princ.i.p.al lightkeeper at Sumburgh Lighthouse, 13,436; obtains supplies from Granton and Aberdeen, 13,437; has opened an account with local dealer (Mr. Henderson), and finds goods reasonable in price and good in quality, 13,442; has heard, but does not know, that goods at Hay & Co.'s store are expensive, 13,449.

MAIL, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 11), is a fisherman, 548; and tenant of land, 549; complains that he is bound to deliver all his fish to the landlord, Green, 559; is therefore obliged to deal at landlord's store, 568; where goods are dearer, 568, and 598, 612; fishermen are afraid to complain lest warned to leave, 572; and are warned if they sell fish to any other dealer, 577-585; not obliged to deal at store, but really compelled to do so by present system, 586; goods are not inferior at store, 613; leases, 621; liberty money, 625; whales, 651; when driven on sh.o.r.e, one-third of the oil taken by landlord, 657; and the rest of the price paid through the proprietor, 655; believes that freedom in fishing would be a much better system, 659; had a pa.s.s-book, but had to discontinue it, as the storekeeper objected to keep it, 690; complains that men do not know what they are earning or what goods they have till the end of the season, and even then cannot get detailed accounts, 693; states that he expects to be warned because of coming to give evidence, 722; merchants in bad seasons give credit to men, 731.

MAINLAND, Hans (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 120), fisherman, 4857; never dealt at store, 4859; because he heard that goods were dearer, 4860; complains that in the system of ground letting no compensation can be got for improvements, 4865; fishing alone is not sufficient to support men, 4872.

MALCOLMSON, Elizabeth (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 408), lives with her mother in Lerwick, 16,093; knits and sews--mother knits, 16,094; knits fine veils and shawls, 16,096; paid always in goods, 16,097.; never asked for money, 16,098; gets money for sewing, 16,099; buys her provisions with this money, and money obtained by letting lodgings, 16,101, 16,102; would prefer to get money for hosiery, 16,103.

-(recalled, p. 409). Produces black veil bought from Mr.

Linklater which cost 1s. 4.1/2d., 16,136. )

MALCOLMSON, Malcolm (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 66), fisherman at Channerwick, 2978; and his father is a tenant under fish-curer, 2979; tenants under former tacksman (Robert Mouat) fished for him, supposing they were bound, 2983; there was no obligation, 2984; were forbidden to sell their fish to others, 2992; and were threatened with ejectment if they did, 2994; one man was ejected, 2994; and notice of ejectment was served on witness's father because witness had sold fish to another merchant, 2997; but being ill, was afterwards permitted to remain, 3003; men were obliged to take goods from store, 3004; as they had no money, 3005; could not get any, 3006, 3007; goods were very bad, 3009.

MALCOLMSON, Robert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 118), fisherman and tenant at Northtown, 4771; corroborates William Goudie (p. 105) and Laurence Smith (p. 110), 4772, 4773; knows a case of ejectment for selling fish to other dealers, 4777; men would make more if they were allowed to cure for themselves, 4780; long settlements are sometimes a disadvantage, 4782; not many fishermen have deposits in bank, 4785; price of meal, 4788; thinks meal dearer at factor's store, 4794; but quality good, 4799.

MANSON, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 64), formerly a fisherman at Dunrossness, 2924; now curer of fish for Harrison & Son at Lerwick, 2925, 2926; and superintendent of their workers, 2927; Harrison & Son are princ.i.p.ally engaged in Faroe fishing, 2929; they have a store, 2932; is not obliged to deal there, but workers generally do, 2933-2936; his wages are paid, and he pays in cash, 2937; no pa.s.s-books, 2944; has no complaint to make, 2947; in Faroe fishing the price not fixed till the end of the season, 2954; family, in the absence of fisherman, get goods and cash if they require at store, 2955, 2957; not obliged to deal at store, 2961; men generally get outfit there, 2962.

MANSON, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 67), fisherman at Channerwick, 3018; tenant under fish-curer, 3019; formerly under tacksman (Mouat), 3020; bound to fish for him, 3021; ejected by him for selling fish to another dealer, 3022-3028; permitted to remain on paying the expense of the summons and promising obedience, 3029; goods very bad, 3039-3045; obliged to deal at store from want of money, 3041, 3942; at liberty now to fish for any one, 3047.

MEAL, Price of, etc., 393, 1135, 1345, 3413, 4316, 4548, 4706, 4788, 4835, 5045, 5300, 5324, 5330, 5514, 5696, 5799, 5962, 6194, 6235, 6834, 6972, 7400, 7786, 7897, 7951, 7999, 8475, 8697, 8733, 8766, 8890, 8965, 9068, 9286, 9315, 9396, 9812, 9843, 9899, 10,019, 10,222, 10,254, 10,391,10,511, 10,612, 10,676, 10,753, 11,846, 12,658, 12,756, 12,795, 12,870, 13,019, 13,045, 13,166, 13,173, 13,223, 13,250, 13,259, 13,306, 13,388, 13,884, 14,106, 14,570, 14,727, 14,923, 14,965, 14,975, 15,018, 15,833, 16,656, 16,659, 16,820.

MEN (or boys) cannot help incurring debt, 10,282.

MEN curing for themselves, 924, 964, 1074, 3943, 4780, 5428, 5984, 8466, 11,934, 12,056, 12,295, 12,937, 13,034, 13,986, 14,155, 14,893, 15,068, 13,982.

MEN must take goods from fish-curer, 568, 586, 764, 3004, 13,088, 13,982.

MEN supported by merchant in bad season, 731, 954, 3623, 4363, 6274, 10,753, 12,295, 12,547, 13,048.

MEN taking goods from fish-merchant, 2933, 2961, 3004, 3041, 3640, 4238, 4298, 4345, 4488, 4520, 4627, 4671, 4965, 5112, 5436, 5547, 5628, 5679, 5789, 5856, 6057, 6189, 6253, 6554, 6842, 6903, 6944, 7392, 8337, 8519, 8685, 8726, 9286, 9307, 9557, 9828, 9930, 10,386, 10,587, 10,704, 11,806, 12,112, 12,210, 12,266, 12,295, 12,347, 12,686, 12,739, 12,847, 13,087, 13,405, 13,507, 13,701, 13,946, 13,980, 14,796, 15,720, 16,373.