1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/St. Pierre and Miquelon

ST. PIERRE and MIQUELON (see 24.41).—During the early years of the decade 1910–20 this little French colony suffered severely as a result of unprofitable fisheries, and large numbers of its people emigrated to Nova Scotia and Quebec. After the World War began in 1914 the French draft law called all the male inhabitants of conscript age to France where they took part in various services. As their withdrawal crippled the fisheries, which could not be prosecuted by the older people and the women and children, the survivors were returned as speedily as possible and ordinary operations were resumed. But during the decade, also, the use of the steam trawlers in the fisheries was on the increase, displacing the wooden sailing vessels previously employed, and this also lessened the number of those finding steady employment. However, during the later years of the war, with fish increasing in value, the colony became very prosperous, and after the Armistice the French Government decided to build a large refrigerating plant, costing about £1,000,000 at St. Pierre for the treatment of cod and other fishes. The financial success of this project was doubted by many, but this deep-sea fishery was being supported by France as a training school of men for its navy, and for the same reason generous bounties are given on all the fish caught. The pop. was in 1920 about 4,500, but the prosperity of the little community was impaired by the difficulties of exchange.