Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 190

7656. How often does it happen in the course of a year that you give an order of that sort?-I could not say how often it happens. I only remember one other instance of it just now, besides the one I have referred to. The person called here, and I did not have the change; and as the person was going to Hillswick, I gave a note on Mr. Anderson to give the money. But it is not at all a common practice.

[The sitting was here adjourned till the evening.]

Hillswick, Northmavine, January 12, 1872, ARTHUR HARRISON, examined.

7657. You are a merchant at Hillswick?-Yes, at Urrafirth.

7658. You were for some years in the employment of Mr.

Anderson at Hillswick?-Yes.

7659. And you are now in business on your own account at Urrafirth?-Yes.

7660. Do you employ any fishermen?-No.

7661. Are you in business in the drapery and provision line?-No; I only deal in groceries.

7662. Do you not keep any soft goods at all?-Yes; I have a few pieces of cotton.

7663. You are just beginning business?-Yes.

7664. Had you any difficulty in getting shop accommodation?- Yes, a little.

7665. In what way? Was it not easy to find a shop in this parish?-No; it was not easy.

7666. How so?-The heritor did not wish to give it to me; and I had a lease saying that I was not to commence business.

7667. You had a lease of what?-Of a bit of ground which I held.

7668. Was it a lease of the premises you now possess?-Yes.

7669. When did you take that lease?-Fourteen years ago.

7670. You have lived there for fourteen years, and had a piece of ground?-Yes.

7671. And the lease prohibited you from carrying on any shop business?-Yes; but the heritor allowed me to cure fish, and to keep a little to supply the people whom I employed.

7672. In what way did you employ them?-I employed them, and paid them every Sat.u.r.day night.

7673. In what business?-In curing fish-drying Faroe cod. I don't buy the cod; I cure it for Mr. Adie.

7674. Is that your princ.i.p.al occupation?-Yes.

7675. And the landlord agreed to allow you to keep small shop for supplying provisions to these men?-Yes.

7676. Is that all you are doing now?-Yes.

7677. Did you receive a letter from the Busta trustees, forbidding you to carry on a shop business there, or stating that you could not be allowed to hold the premises for the purpose of doing so?-No, I received no letter; but in my lease it is stated that I am not to carry on anything but the curing business.

7678. But you had that fourteen years ago?-Yes.

7679. Have you had any communication with the Busta trustees, or with any one of them, on the subject since you took your lease?- Yes.

7680. With whom?-With Mr. Gifford and Mr. Hay.

7681. Was that communication in writing?-No; it was personally with them at Busta.

7682. Did you apply to them for leave to carry on a more extensive business in the way of a shop?-No; I did not apply for anything more than what I got.

7683. What was it you went to see them about?-I went to ask for liberty to cure fish, and keep a small store.

7684. When did you do so?-About November 1869.

7685. Was that shortly after you left Mr. Anderson's employment?-No; it was before.

7686. Did they grant you that permission?-Yes; latterly it was granted.

7687. But it was not granted to you at first?-No.

7688. For what reason?-I don't know for what reason.

7689. Did they not a.s.sign a reason for not granting you that permission?-Yes. I think they said it was too near Hillswick.

7690. What was the meaning of that?-That the starting of another business there might reduce the value of Hillswick, and therefore it would not pay such a rent.

7691. Did you understand from that, that in granting Mr. Anderson a lease of the premises at Hillswick, they had become bound not to allow any other shops to be opened in the district?-No; they did not say anything like that.

7692. Was it with Mr. Gifford this conversation took place?-Yes.

7693. Was it implied that they had some reason for not interfering with Mr. Anderson's business?-Yes; at least the reason he gave was not so much that it would interfere with Mr. Anderson's business, as that it would bring down the rent of Hillswick, and would not advance the property anything.

7694. Do you mean that if you were to open a shop there, the necessary result would be that Mr. Anderson would require to have his rent reduced?-Yes; that is likely to have been what was meant.

7695. How long after that was it when you got permission to open your present shop?-I don't know exactly how long it was.

Perhaps it may have been a month or two after it was spoken of first. I then got [Page 188] liberty to cure the fish and keep provisions for the men I employed; that was all.

7696. But only for the men you employed?-That was all the liberty I got.

7697. Are you not allowed to sell to anybody except the people you employ?-I never asked any more liberty than that.

7698. When you first went to ask for that permission, had you made arrangements to cure fish for Mr. Adie?-No.

7699. Had you made the arrangement by the second time you went?-Yes.

7700. Did you say to Mr. Gifford, when you went the second time, that you had made such an arrangement?-Yes; I told him I had got the offer of fish to cure.

7701. Was he more ready to grant your application on that occasion?-Yes. He said I could take the work.