n the mid-forties nearly fifty percent of Newfoundland’s people were scattered in some 1300 settlements
along the 6000 miles of indented rocky coastline. They made their living from the sea, making the fishery
industry the single most important source of employment on the island.
Ranging from the schooners which went to the Banks, the company operated draggers which followed the fish and located
them through the use of modern electronic sounding devices to the pairs and single fishermen who sought their catch off-shore
by motor boat or dory, the harvest of the sea was carried out in a variety of ways.
Some of these methods were old fashioned and the truck system was blamed overall for
the problems in the fishery. This system had federal origins. Under this system in the
old days Newfoundland merchants or exporters employed the fishermen to fish for them.
The fishermen did not receive money for his services, but was provided by the merchant
with fishing equipment and sufficient food and necessities to keep him and his family
during the year. In the old says each merchant supported his fishermen in good times and in bad.
Money did not exchange hands and although many merchants made enormous fortunes while the fishermen
remained in all intents and purposes serfs.
Later, however, the system lost this sole redeeming
feature as with the increasing population the merchants gradually turned over to
the State the obligation of supporting the fishermen and his family in bad times.
Under the changed system, the fishermen went each spring to the merchant and was
out-fitted and given enough food and supplies to last him through the fishing season,
which usually ran from three to four months. At the end of the season, he turned his
catch over to the merchant against the supplies received. The merchant set the price
to be paid for the fish and also for the advanced supplies. In cases where the fish was
valued according to its quality, a checker or culler who was an employee of the merchant
determined the quality. If in good years a balance was left to the credit of the fishermen,
it was paid in cash. In bad years, however, the fisherman found that the value of his fish
was not equal to the value of the supplies advanced, hence he was in debt to the merchant and
went on State relief. Often the merchant would carry a good fisherman over a couple of bad
years but each advance was charged against his account and when he finally did strike a good
years, his balance was eaten up by his back debts. He usually ended up on relief anyway.
Though this system was disappearing in the mid-forties it still existed in many localities.
Modernization of the fishing industry was held by many Newfoundlanders to be the key to any
future economic prosperity which did not stand a chance unless the truck system was completely eliminated.
In the mid-forties nearly fifty percent of Newfoundland’s people were scattered in some 1300 settlements
along the 6000 miles of indented rocky coastline. They made their living from the sea, making the fishery
industry the single most important source of employment on the island.
