,o8 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



mcnt of fisheries proper, the Commissioners have received no 

 applications. They learned some time ago that not inconsider- 

 able applications for advances for such purposes had been 

 made to the Treasury and referred to the Government Depart- 

 ment or Departments concerned." 



The fact is that the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 were quite unprepared with a scheme for the development of 

 the fisheries, and they deliberately hung up schemes prepared 

 by local authorities so that they might prepare and put forward 

 their own scheme first. In the meanwhile, of course, they had 

 the opportunity of considering the schemes forwarded by the 

 local authorities. In one instance an application submitted by a 

 local authority in May 1910 was definitely replied to in March 

 1912. 



In the meantime the " comprehensive scheme " prepared by 

 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and submitted by them 

 to the Development Commissioners was rejected by the latter 

 body as entirely unsuitable. It is not an easy matter to get 

 particulars of this scheme pour rire of the Board. In fact it 

 is extremely difficult to get authentic information as to its 

 real parents ; to quote Shakespeare we might " laugh to think 

 that babe a bastard." 



Practically every detail of the application was ruled out by 

 the Commissioners. The Board's application was for a loan 

 of £50,000 and an annual grant for the purpose of putting on 

 vessels to patrol waters at present not properly protected, and 

 they also applied for funds for what was euphemistically called 

 " a Special Commission to inquire into the grievances of the 

 inshore fishermen." It was obvious to any one acquainted with 

 the terms of the Development Act that such an absurd scheme 

 was bound to be rejected, since the Development Fund is not 

 properly available for enabling authorities to perform their 

 statutory duties, and neither can it be utilised to increase the 

 salaries of permanent officials. 



The comprehensive scheme of the Board having been rejected, 

 the whole future of scientific fishery research was jeopardised, 

 but the Development Commissioners met the difficulty by 

 making interim grants. 



The second report of the Commissioners, published in 

 September 191 2, contains some reference to these matters. We 

 learn that the Board's application was considered by the 



