Baltasound, Unst, January 19, 1872, James Harper, Examined.

10,384. You are a fisherman to Messrs. Spence & Co. at
Haroldswick?-Yes. I fish at Norwick, but the books are at
Haroldswick.

10,385. Have you a bit of land from Spence & Co?-Yes.

10,386. You pay your rent to them, and deal with them at their shop at Haroldswick?-Yes, I get all my goods there.

10,387. Do you deal anywhere else?-No.

10,388. Why?-For want of money.

10,389. How do you want money?-Because I don’t have it.

10,390. Have you had bad seasons?-I never was in debt before I
came to Spence. & Co.

10,391. How did you get into debt with them?-From bad seasons in the first place, and from overpriced goods. Meal is over-priced,
for one thing. My father has dealt twelve years with ready money;
and I have seen the advantage he has got by it, and what I have lost.

10,392. Who is your father?-William Harper: he is a fisherman too; he has been master of a boat for about forty years to Mr.
Spence.

10,393. How do you know that the meal is over-priced which you get from Messrs. Spence’s shop?-The first meal I got from
Spence & Co. was one boll, when I began to fish for them four years ago. My father got one half of the sack, and I got the other: I
was charged 27s., and he was charged 24s. 6d.

10,394. Why was that?-I had nothing to give Spence & Co., but my father had ready money. That was in the spring before I
commenced to fish.

10,395. You did not settle for the meal until the end of the year?-
No.

10,396. Consequently they were long in getting their money from you?-Yes.

10,397. Was it not quite fair that they should get little more for lying out of their money all that time?-Yes; but 2s. 6d. was too much to charge for interest. That was only on meal, but I could make more profit on groceries and soft goods too.

10,398. Have you anything more to say about the meal?-That is the only thing I can recollect about it.

10,399. Have you bought your meal in the same way ever since?-
Yes, until last year, when I had as much as could supply myself.

10,400. How many bolls had you to buy in the course of the year?-From 4 to 6.

10,401. Do you think you lost 2s. 6d. a boll on each of these?-I
have no doubt I did, for want of ready money.

10,402. What have you to say about the other things?-That was somewhat further back, but at any rate I have been out of pocket with Spence & Co. ever since commenced with them. I was a skipper where I was before, and got a skipper’s fee; but the fee which I got from Spence & Co. is not so much as I got formerly. I
fished for John Johnston for 11 years. For the first two years I was only a young fellow, and was to be paid according to my fishing.
After that, I got promise of £4 of skipper’s fee, and when he saw I
was getting on so well he always gave me £5 afterwards. Then I
was forced-at least I believed I was forced, although I know now that I was not-to go to Spence & Co. from John Johnston,
because he got his warning and could not keep me, but had to sell his boats or boat.

10,403. When was that?-In 1867 or 1868. He had two boats, and he sold the one I was fishing in.

10,404. How were you forced to leave him?-Because Spence &
Co. got a tack from Mr walker, and I and all the north parish understood that I had to leave my employer and go to them.

10,405. Were you not told that you were quite at liberty to fish either to Spence & Co. or to any other person?-I was never told that until I heard Mr. Sandison say it. I don’t think it was told in the north of the island; at least I was not told about it.

10,406. Were you ever told that you had to fish for Spence &
Co?-That was rather hinted at.

10,407. Who hinted it?-Mr. Mouat. I was rather hot-tempered,
and so was he, and when we were both hot he gave me a hint about that.

10,408. Was that in 1868?-I think so.

10,409. I suppose you conveyed the hint to a good number of others?-Yes. I sat down and wrote a letter to Mr. Walker, telling him what had been said; and I got an answer from him, saying I
was to work according to the rules I had in my lease, and that no one could interfere.

10,410. Is there anything more you have to say?-There is nothing particular; but I may say that there are a good many skippers here,
and a good many poor men, who will never be asked to come forward, and will never get the chance.

10,411. They may come forward if they like?-They don’t care about coming forward, and there are some of them whose stories are far worse than mine.

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