Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 403

RATTER, Andrew (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 177), fishermen at North Roe, 7386; and tenant of Messrs. Hay, 7387; generally deals at their store, 7392; articles always satisfactory, 7398; tea, 7399; meal, 7400.

RATTER, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 210), fisherman at Weathersta, 8624; for Mr. Adie, 8625; corroborates Thomas Robertson (p. 211), 8627.

READY Money system, 802, 3623, 8902, 9329, 9587, 9592, 9974, 9945, 10,527, 11,453, 11,826, 11,905, 12,028, 12,039, 15,078, 16,465.

RENT, 488, 911, 944, 1226, 1386, 5274, 5404, 5759, 9991, 10,640, 11,912, 11,969, 12,153, 12,618, 13,007, 13,048, 13,459, 13,681, 14,887, 15,074, 15,120, 15,135.

-Dealer responsible for, 10,025, 10,039, 11,912, 13,679, 15,136.

-Lower because of obligation to fish, 13,293.

ROBERTSON, Charles (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 378), member of R. & C. Robertson, wholesale and retail provision merchants, Lerwick, 15,017; merchants generally keep only one kind of meal, 15,018; gives evidence as to prices of meal, etc., 15,021.

ROBERTSON, Elizabeth (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 5), knits for herself formerly for dealers, 221; merchants supplied her with wool, 223; paid in goods, 229; had not pa.s.s-book, 231; could seldom get money from dealers, and often obliged to take goods from them and sell at half-price to get it, 236-238; gets lines from dealers if not requiring goods, 248, 251; to obtain money, sells these lines to persons requiring goods, 257-259, and 287-290.

ROBERTSON, Gilbert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 224), fisherman and tenant at Hamnavoe under Mr. M'Queen, 9301; elder of Established Church, South Yell, 9302; free to fish always, excepting for one period of three years, when bound, 9304; ling fishing, 9308; thinks a ready-money system would be somewhat better for men, 9332.

ROBERTSON, James (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 204), lives at Muckle Roe--was formerly a fisherman, but is now too old, 8435; thinks fishermen are free, and should engage with any merchant whom they think offers the best bargain, 8460; men could not manage to cure their own fish, 8466; as they have not accommodation, [Page 451] 8470; and would not realize so good a price, as they would not be able to command so extensive a market as the merchant, 8471; does not see any advantage in payments for fish being made earlier in the season, 8472; meal is much dearer than in the south, 8475; knitting and weaving, 8488; paid either in goods or money, 8490; if people not indebted, 8502.

ROBERTSON, Mrs. Janet (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 237), knits, 9793; for Mrs. Spence with her wool, 9794-5; is paid in goods and money--gets money when she wishes, but generally takes goods, 9797.

ROBERTSON, John, sen. (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 351), is a merchant at Lerwick, and tacksman of Lunna estate, 14,067; fish-curing establishment at Skerries, 14,068; has a store at Vidlin, 14,069; goods are dearer there than at Lerwick, only because of the cost of transit--they are always sold at the lowest possible prices, 14,072; men fishing at Skerries are bound to deliver their fish to the tacksman of Lunna, 14,075; but are free to go to the Faroe and Greenland fishing, 14,082; beach boys are paid weekly wages, 14,086; but are settled with annually, 14,088; are supplied with goods or cash, as they wish, 14,093-8; herring fishery a failure of late, 14,108; men have half the produce, and the other half goes to the expense of boats, etc., 14,112; remembers one or two instances of new employers taking over debt due by a man to a previous one, 14,138; does not know of any special arrangement to that effect, 14,139; and never entered into one himself, 14,140; purchases kelp, 14,143; pays 4s. 6d. in goods and 4s. in cash, 14,147; gatherers have accounts, 14,150; does not think the fish-curing business could be profitably carried on without combination with a store, 14,152; people require supplies from shop, and could not do without them, 14,153; the quality of fish would be deteriorated if men cured for themselves, 14,155.

-(recalled, p.365). Price of meal at Lerwick, 14,570-6; does an extensive business in it, 14,577; meal in Shetland is generally of one quality, 14,579; only one quality sold, 14,585.

ROBERTSON, John, jun. (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 383), merchant and fish-curer, and has retail shop in Lerwick--has fishing station at Spiggie, 15,153; none of the tenants there are bound to fish for him, 15,154; men in neighbourhood could not cure their own fish, because there is no beach other than his, 15,159; does not understand how some dealers give more than the current price, 15,164; succeeded Robert Mouat, 15,178; Mouat did not call tenants together and order them to fish for him, but merely recommended them to do so, 15,180.

ROBERTSON, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 348), fisherman at Skelberry, in Lunnasting, 13,933; bound to fish for tacksman, 13,934; deals at store, 13,946; runs an account, 13,950; is generally in debt at settlement, 13,951; gets advances of money, 13,956; men put on allowance when too far in debt, 13,967.

ROBERTSON, Thomas (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 209), fisherman, 8582; and tenant, of land, 8583; fishes for Mr. Adie, 8584; settles yearly, 8585; gets advances if wished, 8587; herring fishery, 8605-8; price fixed at beginning of season, 8608.

ROBERTSON, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 265), cashier and princ.i.p.al clerk to Mr. Joseph Leask, 10,847; gives an account of Mr. Leask's system of business, 10,850; Mr. Leask's tenants are not bound to fish, 10,858; either in home or Faroe fishings, 10,912; hold their land as yearly tenants, 10,913; denies that the truck system is more prevalent in Shetland than other parts of the kingdom, and that it 'makes its depressing effect felt in all the ramifications of the industrial and social life of the natives,'

10,924; that men and their wives and children are all severally indebted to the merchants, or that men generally are in debt, 10,925; the tenants have farms generally of about twelve acres, 10,925; some as many as twenty-three acres, and some again seven, and, besides, there are extensive commons, 10,926; free to the people, except in Yell, where they pay for grazing ponies and sheep, but not cattle, 10,927; whaling agents have a very small and inadequate profit, 10,933; and make very little profit by their stores, for the men are supplied as cheaply, if not cheaper than at other stores, and there are many bad debts when there is a bad voyage, 10,938; bad voyages are frequent in whale and seal fishing, 10,939; young men must have advances for outfit, 10,940; men indebted generally go to another merchant, 10,957; and in that case, seldom pay their debts, 10,959; it is princ.i.p.ally young men who are indebted, 10,961; there is a great scarcity of men, vessels often have to go to the fishing without their full complement of hands, 10,961; agents occasionally settle men's debts to other merchants, 10,977; agents obliged to pay wages in full to men in presence of the shipping master, but men always come to the store immediately after and settle any account they may owe, 11,009; allotment notes not issued by Mr. Leask, 11,051; frequently supplies men's families with money and goods in their absence, 11,058; delays in settlement are often caused by the dilatoriness of the men, 11,073; there is only one price charged for goods, 11,111; men always paid in cash, and not expected to buy; but when they do, goods are given them as cheap or cheaper than they could obtain them elsewhere, 11,187; men are very honest, and if they owe money, invariably pay it after receiving their wages, 11,209; hosiery paid in goods, 11,227; is simply barter, and not truck, 11,229; all Mr. Leask's employees paid in cash, unless they prefer to take goods, 11,248; Mr. Leask is extensively engaged in the Faroe fishing, 11,268; describes agreement with men, 11,270; lines and hooks, and anything else required by men, supplied by themselves, 11,272; half of the fish, after deduction of cost of curing, goes to the owner, and the other half to the men, 11,286.

ROBERTSON, William (recalled, p. 338). Hands in form of agreement for Faroe fishing, 13,603; men generally join about the middle of March, 13,604; shows workbook, 13,607; men never bound to go to Faroe fishing, 13,625; there is only one price for goods at store, 13,635; thinks price should not be fixed at the beginning of season, 13,646; does not think small dealers can command a higher, if so high a price for their fish, 13,655; unless by selling in small parcels to retail dealers, 13,658; denies that Mr.

Leask ever forced the men on his property to fish for Mr.

Williamson, 13,668; rents are commonly paid by merchant, 13,681; and retained at settlement, 13,682; denies that the truck system prevails in Shetland to an extent unknown in other parts of the kingdom, 13,697; the population of Shetland is 30,000 persons, 13,698; three-fourths of these are fishermen, seamen, and their families, 13,699; nearly every man has an account with the merchant he fishes for--does not consider this can be called truck, 13,701; thinks men have no reason to complain, 13,707; for it is an advantage, 13,708; fish merchant is only paid annually for his fish, and cannot be expected to settle otherwise than yearly with men, 13,710; men frequently have large sums of money in bank, 13,726; in Greenland whale fishing experienced men are preferred, as agents do not like the risk of supplying outfits to young hands, 13,737; men are not bound to take outfit from agents, 13,755; weekly or fortnightly settlements would be impossible, 13,789; Shetland men are not improvident or extravagant, 13,807; and, as a rule are not in debt, 13,808.

ROBERTSON, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 420), is in the employment of Hay & Co., Lerwick, 16,529; gives in statement as to the mode of dealing with men engaged for the seal and whale fishing, 16,530; to the following effect: 'I have been in Hay & Co.'s employment for upwards of twenty-eight years, during which time I have had chief management of their ship-agency business, and particularly that part of it connected with the whale fishery.

The masters of the ships invariably choose the men who form their crews, and fix their wages without any regard to the employer.

When engaged, men can get their first month's advance in cash, and if they wished allotment notes. Without farther credit from the agent, however, young hands could not get an outfit, and now the Board of Trade regulations have very greatly lessened the number of young men going to Greenland. The necessity of payment at the Custom-house causes much extra trouble to the agents, and they endeavoured at one time to get a higher commission. They did not, however, and have continued in the agency with much reluctance.

Since 1867, men have always been paid first month's advance in cash at shipping office, and the balance at the end of the voyage, whenever they choose to ask it, quite irrespective of advances to them for clothing; these, however, the men, as a rule, came forward and settled promptly.' Men are seldom in debt, 16,531; if indebted, they go to another agent; their accounts are occasionally transferred to the new agent, 16,566; agents expect men to deal with them, but only because they have always done so; there is no compulsion, 16,586; there is great difficulty and trouble in getting men to attend at a settlement, 16,605.

RUSSELL, Euphemia (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 284), lives at Blackness, Scalloway, 11,562; supports herself by knitting and out-door work, 11,564; would devote her time entirely to knitting if she could get money in payment, 11,565; when requiring money has to take out-door work, 11,567; never got money from [Page 452] dealers, 11,570; has exchanged tea for meal, 11,578; can only get wool for money, 11,579.

SANDISON, Alexander (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 169), formerly fisherman, now too old to fish, 7049; fished for Mr.

Anderson, 7051; was not actually bound when indebted to re-engage with merchant, 7054; but thought it fair to do so, 7077; price fixed at the beginning of season would be a doubtful benefit, 7059; eggs paid in goods, 7074; fishermen much better off now than formerly, 7083; whale fishing, 7088-7099.

SANDISON, Alexander (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 241), partner in the firm of Spence & Co., 9978; formerly partner of Hay & Co. (Lerwick) at Uyea Sound, 9979; manager there, 9980; lessees of Major Cameron's estate in Unst, 9982; men not bound to fish, 9986; small boats are better adapted to winter fishing, 9998; winter fishing cannot be extended, 10,001; monthly payments in cash would be the best system, 10,067 men decline this, 10,009; a change in the system would cause poverty amongst the men for a time, 10,015; truck is not nearly so common as it was thirteen years ago, 10,027; a dealer is powerless to arrest for debt because of the landlord's hypothec, 10,036; dealer is bound to see tenant's rents paid to proprietor, or men will not be permitted to fish for him, 10,025-10,039; dealer often cannot avoid giving further credit to indebted men, because without it they and their families would be starved, 10,049; a change to monthly payments from present system would cause much pauperism in the period of transition, 10,052; thinks the best thing for Shetlanders would be to find some profitable employment for them in the winter--does not think the winter fishing could be improved, 10,061; thinks the Government should improve the harbours and roads--in the sale of cattle, men often decline to take the proceeds until the yearly settlement, 10,077; men are quite free in the sale of farm produce, 10,079; boat hiring unprofitable, 10,139; has absolute power to eject men on estates in tack in Unst, but has never done so, 10,162; tenants are not bound to fish or sell farm produce, 10,165, 10,166; but generally do, 10,168; buys hosiery, 10,182; and worsted, 10,183; pays in cash, 10,187; thinks knitters as a rule should have as much for their work as the value of the worsted, 10,196.

-Letter sent by (p. 248). Thinks the morals of the people may compare favourably with those of any others in Scotland; small shops are an evil, as they sell whisky surrept.i.tiously; thinks the time spent on winter fishing lost, as it could be more profitably employed in farming; thinks the best remedy for evils is to improve houses and get men to improve their ground.

-(recalled, p. 254). Is agent at Uyea Sound for Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, 10,480; men never contribute, 10,481; a man was removed because he had a shop, 10,488; small shops are an evil, for men indebted will beg necessaries from store and sell them for superfluities at them, 10,494; men's debts are often paid by a new merchant, but knows of no rule to that effect, 10,498.

-(recalled, p. 263). Want of change, 10,767.

SANDISON, Arthur (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 191), shopman and book-keeper to Mr. Anderson, Hillswick. 7837; is preparing return from Mr. Anderson's books of number of fishermen, etc., 7841.

SANDISON, Jane (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 103), lives in Sandwick, 4139; knits for Mr. Linklater, 4140; uses his wool, 4141; is paid in goods, 4142; has asked but never gets money, 4143; has exchanged goods for oil and wool, 4147-4156.

SANDISON, Jemima (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 33), knitter in Lerwick, 1697; knits for dealer, 1699; has pa.s.sbook, 1700; is paid in goods, 1704; and in money, 1708; could always get some money if she wished it, 1708; can get wool in exchange for hosiery, 1717.

SANDISON, John (a.n.a.lysis of his eyidence, p. 167), fisherman, 6938; and tenant of land, 6939; goes to home fishing, 6940; for Mr. Anderson, 6941; settlement yearly, 6942; deals at his shop, 6944; never refused cash, 6956; is not bound to deal with merchant, 6960; price of meal, 6972.

SANDISON, Peter Mouat (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 127), is inspector of poor in the parish of Fetlar and North Yell, 5141; formerly was a fish-curer, 5142; and still cures for Spence & Co., 5255; settlements at end of year, 5145; indebtedness is a bad policy for curers, 5148; the best men are always least in debt, 5149; men will not have pa.s.s-books, 5170; hosiery, 5176; is paid generally in goods, 5193; fixing the price of fish at the beginning of season would benefit the enters, but not the men, 5201; boats and boat hires, 5206; men always get the highest currency, 5206; men were bound to fish for him, 5211; but he never enforced the obligation except in one case, 5216; men have been offered a weekly payment, but refused it, 5217; there are scarcely any leases in Yell, 5228; does not think the. system of long settlements tends to increase the poor rates, 5234; beach boys, 5241; sometimes have accounts, 5242; fish-curer would not choose to open these, but it is sometimes necessary to do so, 5243; boys are not obliged to serve, 5248; workers are paid at end of season, getting goods during it from Spence & Co's. store, 5259; kelp, 5262; paid almost entirely in cash, 5269; has known a few instances of restrictions laid on the sale of farm stock when men are hopelessly in debt, 5271; rent, 5274; never knew any instance of cattle being marked for debt, 5278.

SCOLLAY, Gilbert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 203), is a tenant on the Busta estate, 8376; keeps pauper lunatics, 8378; previously indebted to merchant, 8379; payments by Parochial Board to him made through merchant, who is chairman of Board, 8387; and complains that merchant will only give him goods, 8389; which are charged at enormous prices, 8403.

-(recalled, p. 210). Truck is a great cause of pauperism, as it makes the poor careless and the rich fearless. If man dies, the goods he leaves will be taken by his creditor, and his widow and family left penniless, 8637.

-(recalled, p. 376). Corrects his previous evidence, and gives evidence as to prices of meal and flour, 14,964, 14,966.

SECURITY in holding of land, best cure for evils of Shetland, 8055.

SEPARATION of farming and fishing in Shetland (impossible), 4421, 4872, 8029; note, p. 248.

SHARES, fishermen always work best on, 3623, 10,007, 12,604, 12,608.

SHIPWRECKED Mariners' Society, 6711, 10,480, 11,863, 14,348, 14,800, 15,552.

SHORT Settlements, 9579, 9952, 10,006, 10,052, 10,238, 10,341, 10,512, 10,528, 10,718, 10,827, 11,797, 11,875, 12,610, 12,887, 15,203, 15,750.

-Impracticable, 3896, 8149, 11,797, 11,875, 13,789.

SHAWLS and haps, price of, 31, 1421, 1441, 1521, 1641, 1686, 3413, 3430, 9739, 10,205, 11,537, 11,606, 11,769, 15,922, 16,010, 16,045, 16,075, 16,113, 16,208.

-Dressing of, 1729, 1793.

SIEVWRIGHT, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 382), solicitor in Lerwick, 15,116; factor on property of Mrs. Budge, Scaffold, 15,117; wrote letter to William Stewart, quoted in Stewart's evidence (question 8917), 15,118; written because the tenants had taken a prejudice against Thomas Williamson, and his business fell off; the men, on explanation, were ready to deal with him; there was no compulsion used, 15,119; Williamson was not responsible for rents, 15,135.

SIMPSON, Mrs. Andrina (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 6), knits for herself, 306; buys her wool, 308; sells to merchants for goods, 310; never got more than part payment in cash, 316-320; never gets lines, 329.

SIMPSON, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 345), does not wish to make any statement, because his rent may be raised or he may be ejected, 13,830; is a tenant on estate of Lunna, 13,832; is bound, so far as he knows, to fish for tacksman, 13,833; would prefer liberty, 13,840; not free to sell winter fish, 13,843; is not bound at all to deal at store, 13,903; goods in Lerwick cheaper than at store, 13,920.

SIMPSON, Robert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, 348), fisherman at Valour, in Lunnasting, 13,978; not having money, is obliged to take goods from the merchant, 13,980; is charged more than should be, 13,981; bound to fish for Mr. Robertson, 13,983; could make more if free and curing for himself, 13,986; never sold eggs for cash, but has no doubt he could have got it if he had wished, 14,023.

SINCLAIR, Charles (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 22), is a fisherman at Burra, 1100; wishes liberty in fishing, 1109; liability for father's debts, 1143-1154; in Faroe fishing can get payment in money, 1157; families of fishermen get provisions and money when they are absent at the Faroe fishing, 1172, 1178.

SINCLAIR, Henry (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 131), tenant on Symbister estate at Lerwick, formerly bound to tacksman (Mouat), 5309; was warned because of a quarrel with his son as to an entry of fish, 5315; got provisions at store, 5323; never got any money, 5332; meal unfit to eat, 5330.

SINCLAIR, Isabella (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 72), daughter and a.s.sistant of R. Sinclair, 3245; never knew of lines being pa.s.sed from one to another person, 3250; payments in money less, 3252; Shetland wool is becoming extinct owing to the introduction of Cheviot sheep, 3269, 3270.

[Page 453]

SINCLAIR, Isabella (recalled, p. 82). Has known cases of hosiery being sold for money to other people, and knitters have afterwards come and spent the cash at dealer's shop, 3612.

-(recalled, p. 350). Explains, with reference to evidence of Margaret Jamieson (p. 350), that salesmen in her father's shop cannot give money without permission, and that the want of cash is an exceptional case, 14,064; persons are paid in money who have bargained for money, 14,065; but a less price given in cash, 14,066.

SINCLAIR, Mary Ann (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 40), knits, 2075; for dealer with his wool, 2076; has no pa.s.s-book, 2077; is paid in money and goods, 2079; gets as much money as she wishes, 2092, 2107.