No. 3 (1921) MANUFACTURE OF FISH OIL AND GUANO I/I 



consumed fresh or cured in the yards, the quantity of oil sardines 

 annually caught is seen to be very large ; and these large catches 

 might be greatly increased by the use of power boats or by large 

 sailing boats carrying two or four " dories " or canoes using the 

 odam or purse net and taking the shoals somewhat further out at 

 sea, aided by motor carriers to run the catches to shore. 



51. Factories : Character and localities. — Though there were during 

 last year about 558 factories, a wrong impression would be gained 

 if the word factory is unexplained. The small size of these 

 " factories " may be gauged by the nett output which, taken as 

 20,000 tons of dry guano, allows an average of less than 40 tons 

 apiece, or 200 tons of fresh fish. Many of these factories are mere 

 sheds ; some are adaptations of existing buildings ; those specially 

 built are often ill constructed, and very different from the up-to- 

 date cleanly factories of the American coast. They are frequently 

 dark, ill-ventilated, with flooring not impervious to soakage, 

 insufficiently provided with drains for the complete removal of the 

 foul putrescible water from the presses and settling pits, without 

 proper drying grounds, and with surroundings insufficiently 

 cleansed from debris ; there is frequently, if not generally, want of 

 good water-supply and use of clean water for the daily and com- 

 plete flushing of the factory premises, while disinfectants such as 

 those generally in use in places where dead animal substances^ 

 often tainted — are treated, e.g., chloride of lime, ordinary lime, 

 phenol and other disinfectants, are practically unknown; even 

 in factories where intelligent supervision might be expected, the 

 results are often unpleasant. Moreover, these factories are often 

 not only crowded together and unduly numerous in certain locali- 

 ties but they are too frequently in close proximity to the village 

 houses and acquire thereby the hostility of the residents and 

 authorities. Sanitary matters and rules are further dealt with 

 below. 



52. These 558 factories are distributed along the coast from 

 Cochin to Kundapur, a distance of above 250 miles, but by far 

 the larger number (401) arein South Kanara, the northern half of 

 this part of the coast, where the frequent occurrence of sheltered 

 bays brings the shoals close to land. All factories are, of course, 

 built close to the sea or to backwaters communicating with the sea, 

 so that in favourable and crowded localities rents up to Rs. 100 

 per acre are paid, 



