See also:COOPERAGE, or COPERAGE (Flemish and Dutch kooper, a trader, dealer)
, a See also:system of See also:traffic in spirituous liquors, See also:tobacco and other articles amongst the fishermen in the See also:North See also:Sea
.
The practice began in the See also:middle of the 19th See also:century, when Flemish and Dutch koopers frequented the fishing fleets for the purpose of See also:barter
.
Trading first in tobacco, they extended their operations, and soon became practically floating grog-shops
.
The demoralizing nature of the traffic was brought to the public See also:notice in 1881, and a See also:convention was held at the See also:Hague in 1882 to consider means of remedying the abuses
.
In 1887 See also:Great l3ritain, See also:Germany, See also:Belgium, See also:Denmark, See also:France and the Nether-lands signed an agreement to prevent the See also:sale or See also:purchase of spirituous liquors among fishermen at sea
.
In Great See also:Britain an See also:act (the North Sea See also:Fisheries Act 1888) was passed to carry into effect the terms of the convention
.
The act (now repealed and replaced by the North Sea Fisheries Act 1893, with which it is identical but for some slight verbal modifications) imposes a See also:fine not exceeding £50 or a See also:term of imprisonment not exceeding three months for supplying, exchanging or otherwise selling See also:spirits
.
It imposes a like See also:penalty for purchasing spirits by See also:exchange or otherwise, and requires every See also:British See also:vessel dealing in provisions or other articles to have a See also:licence and to carry a See also:special See also:mark
.
In 1882 Mr E
.
J
.
See also:Mather started a See also:mission to deep sea fishermen, which sends out mission See also:ships and supplies the fishermen with See also:good clothing, literature, tobacco, &c., at a See also:fair See also:price
.
This mission, now the Royal See also:National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, is registered by the See also:Board of See also:Trade
.
See E
.
J
.
Mather, Nor'ard of the Dogger (1888), and publications of the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen
.
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