Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 59.djvu/562

552 may own a number of boats). The men of the crew furnish their own food, fuel and clothing. The owner is entitled to half the sales of fish, and 'the remainder goes to the crew in the following proportions: There being 6 men in the crew, 4 of them get equal parts, the captain receives the share of one man plus 10 per cent, and the cook half a share. Dividing the proceeds into 23 parts, the boat owner is entitled to 11 parts, 4 members of the crew to 8 parts, the master to 2 parts and the cook to 1 part; the share of the master being increased by 10 per cent, of 2 parts and that of each member of the crew diminished by 2 per cent.

From the time the men begin to fish until the close of the season, they pay to the government 1.10 francs per month, in consideration of which they are pensioned on attaining the age of 50, provided they have served 300 months on sea duty (either in fishing or in any other maritime occupation). They also pay 1.50 francs per month as premium on an insurance fund which the government allows for injury due to the vicissitudes of sea life. In case of death, the family of the fisherman receives an annual pension depending on the size of the family and on age and length of sea service of the deceased, the minimum sum being 300 francs; naval service increases the pension.

The average stock per boat in a given season varies greatly on different parts of the French coast, depending on various local causes besides the abundance of fish, such as weather, bait supply, local demand, shipping facilities, energy with which fishing is prosecuted and other evident factors. The boats fishing out of Brittany ports have a larger average yield than those of other ports of the west coast; and those in the Mediterranean have by far the smallest stocks. Thus, in 1898, the average catch per boat was about 10,700 kilograms of sardines in Brittany, 3,300 kilograms in the southern part of the Bay of Biscay and only 745 kilograms in the Mediterranean.

The construction of the first sardine canning establishment dates from about 1845, since which time the growth of the business has been almost uninterrupted. The factories gave to the sardine fishery a great impetus, and to-day are the chief supporters of the very extensive fishing operations in the Bay of Biscay. They employ many thousand persons, at what are considered good wages, and in some of the fishing towns give work to practically all able-bodied persons who are not engaged in fishing. In Concarneau, a town of 10,000 people, fully 3,000 men, women and children are directly connected with the sardine canning business, besides the fishermen. Most of the work in connection with the canning of sardines is done by women and girls, a few men being employed for special duties for which women are not adapted. The factories are generally large stone structures surrounded by a stone wall and inclosing a courtyard. Some are able to utilize