20 MADtlAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XIII 



Madras, for repair before Mr. Prager took charge and were not 

 received back till the end of May. Tin plates had to be sent to 

 Madras from the cannery to be stamped and returned in the shape of 

 lids. Sardines had to be packed in 12 oz. cyHndrieal tins instead of 

 in the usual rectangular tins and at times it was not possible to 

 .purchase all the fish brought in for want of suitably shaped cans or 

 for want of any cans at all. To prevent a recurrence of this state 

 of affairs, an additional lid-stamping press was made at the work- 

 shops for the cannery and a set of duplicate dies has been ordered 

 from England. The industrial engineering branch of the Depart- 

 ment of Industries should in future be consulted when necessary 

 in connexion with defects in the machinery. 



72. Supply of fish. — There was almost a complete dearth of 

 mackerel, the fish most in demand. The supply of prawns was 

 deficient, the greater number canned having been procured from 

 Tanur. Sardines were generally very small and of poor quality and 

 hardly worth canning. Difficulties were experienced in the matter 

 of obtaining packing oils, firewood and charcoal. 



73. Output. — In spite of these drawbacks 59,686 cans of all sorts 

 were packed during the year as against 80,267 in the previous 

 year. The opening balance was 37,683 and the number sold was 

 only 40,729 as against 62,095 in the previous year, leaving a balance 

 of 52,311 cans after allowing for over 4,000 cans packed but rejected 

 when tested. The sales were appreciably affected by the cessation 

 of hostilities and the consequent increased supply of canned goods 

 from overseas, and by inability to comply with many orders for 

 mackerel and prawns. 



74. Finance. — The expenditure during the year amounted to 

 Es. 20j860 including Es. 3,268 on capital accounts and Es. 17,592 

 for running charges. The corresponding figures of the previous 

 year were Ks. 34,285, Es. 5,644 and Es. 28,641 respectively. The 

 total remittances into the treasury on account of sale-proceeds of 

 canned fish, etc., was Es. 18,644. The excess of drawings over 

 remittances was therefore Es. 2,216. The value of the cans in hand 

 at the end of the year was Es. 14,756. 



According to the trading account, the gross profits for the year 

 were Es. 3,689 as against Es. 8,465 in the previous year. Overhead 

 charges (portion of Sir Frederick Nicholson's travelling allowance, 

 50 per cent of the pay and allowances of all the permanent staff 

 including the manager, depreciation, etc.) are estimated at Hs. 5,497. 

 There was therefore a net loss on the year's working of Es. 1,808 as 

 against a profit of Es. 4,355 in the previous year. These figures 

 have not been audited. The poor results are due to diminished 

 outturn, fall in sales, loss on 8,708 tins of sardines of poor quality 

 which were sold at less than cost-price under Sir Frederick 



