Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 46

1008. You say you signed the obligation about eight years ago.

Have you ever endeavoured or wished to break through it and to obtain your liberty?-No.

1009. You have never attempted that?-No.

1010. Does that obligation bind your family as well as yourself?- Yes, if they like to do it.

1011. But in the obligation itself did you become bound that your sons as well as yourself should fish for Messrs. Hay?-Yes.

1012. Have had to pay liberty money for any of your sons?-Yes; I had to pay it for one of my sons-Robert Smith. He was two years away. One year he was with Mr. Harrison, and the year following he was with Mr. Garriock, and I paid liberty money in these years to Messrs. Hay on his account.

1013. How long ago was that?-I think it was three years ago.

1014. Then the obligation to fish applied to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng as well as to the home fis.h.i.+ng?-Yes; to the whole fis.h.i.+ngs.

1015. Have you ever had to pay liberty money for your sons leaving the home fis.h.i.+ng and going to some other employment?- No; they never followed the home fis.h.i.+ng. They would not go to it.

1016. Then, if a man does not choose to go to the home fis.h.i.+ng at all, he is free?-Yes.

1017. But if a man does go to the home fis.h.i.+ng he is to fish for the landlord?-Yes, if he be a tenant.

1018. But he need not fish unless he likes?-No; it is only if he does fish, and if he is a person holding land, that he must fish for Messrs. Hay.

1019. Or if he is the son of a landholder, and living in his father's house?-Yes.

1020. I believe the liberty money amounts to 20s.?-Yes.

1021. When is it paid?-When we settle.

1022. Is it deducted from the amount due?-Yes.

1023. Do you know of any cases where that liberty money has been paid back by Messrs, Hay?-Yes.

1024. Was it paid back to you?-Yes; it was paid back to me for my son.

1025. Then the money you mentioned just now as having been paid by you for your son was paid back to you?-Yes; it was paid back to me afterwards.

1026. How long afterwards?-I think about a year and a half.

1027. Did you ask for it to be paid back?-Yes; I asked it over and over again before I got it. I think I asked for it two or three times, if I remember right.

1028. Did they give it back to you as a favour?-Yes.

1029. Was the amount of liberty money fixed in the obligation which you signed?-Yes.

1030. Did you get a copy of that obligation?-No.

1031. Have you been spoken to about that obligation since you signed it, and told that it was in force?-Never, except when they charged liberty money. I objected to pay it; and their answer was, that I had signed an obligation to pay it, and therefore that I was obliged to do so.

1032. Do you know any one else who has paid liberty money within the last year or two?-Yes; Andrew Laurenson paid it for his brother.

1033. Is Laurenson here?-No.

1034. Why did he have to pay it for his brother?-Because I think the father was not able, and Andrew had just to pay it.

1035. Were both the Laurensons living with their father?-No, Andrew was not living with him; he was married, and had gone away. But Robert was living with his father; and Andrew paid the money for the brother, because his father could not.

1036. Has there been any other case?-Yes; Peter Henry paid liberty money for himself about three years ago.

1037. Was Laurenson's money paid back?-Yes.

1038. After he had asked it?-I don't know if he asked it, but I know that it was paid back.

1039. Was Henry's paid back?-I don't know.

1040. Did these cases all occur about the same year?-Yes, all about the same time.

1041. Is it the case that at time you had several bad fis.h.i.+ng seasons?-Yes.

1042. And is it the case that at that time Messrs. Hay were largely in advance to the fishermen in Burra?-Yes; for some years they were largely in advance.

1043. Did they want to get the young men to go to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng in order to get their parents out of debt: did they a.s.sign that as a reason for charging liberty money?-Yes, sometimes they did.

1044. Did they tell you, or did you understand, that these fines were required in order to induce the young men to go to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng, and to pay off the debt due by their parents?-Yes, I understood that.

1045. Were you told that by Messrs. Hay at the time?-Yes.

1046. Are these the only cases in which such fines have been exacted, within your knowledge?-Yes.

1047. Have all the landholders since that time fished for Messrs.

Hay, to your knowledge?-Yes; they have all fished for them at the home fis.h.i.+ng.

1048. And at the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng too?-There are very few of the landholders who go to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng.

1049. Are there many men in Burra who go to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng?- Yes, a considerable number.

1050. But these are the younger men?-Yes; generally they are.

1051. And they are not bound in any way?-No, are not now.

1052. Do they generally s.h.i.+p with the Messrs. Hay?-Some of them do, and some do not. It is not general thing with them to do so.

1053. They can do as they like?-Yes.

1054. Can your sons do as they like in that matter, and s.h.i.+p with any person they please?-Yes.

1055. Do they go to the Faroe fis.h.i.+ng?-Yes.

1056. And you are not asked to pay liberty money for them now?-No.