34 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XII, 



1 6. During the year a great quantity of oil was supplied for the 

 Munitions Board, mainly by purchase : the Tanur mechanic, M. P. Krishnan, 

 was largely employed as an oil and guano expert on this business under the 

 Assistant Director's supervision. 



17. The Tanur accounts show a profit this year of Rs. 2,163. This 

 takes into account profits of Rs. 2,736 on account of purchase of oil for the 

 Munitions Board, etc., partly by the Tanur Staff. But this latter is not 

 strictly a profit obtained by the ordinary operations of the yard. Deducting 

 this sum the Tanur yard will show a small net loss of Rs. 573. The loss 

 would have been converted into a profit had there been larger purchases 

 and sales especially of oil and guano, but as stated in paragraph 15 the 

 results are not directly pecuniary but in improvements in general fish-curing, 

 etc., in the future. • 



18. Co-operation. — This in its details was carried on entirely by the 

 Assistant Director. At the beginning of the year there were ten co-operative 

 societies, based on thrift, of which nine were on the West Coast and one 

 on the east : they had about 900 members and Rs. 10,400 as own capital'. 

 During 1918-19 no less than 32 new societies, of which 29 were on the 

 West Coast, were organized ; of these 26 were registered and got to work ; 

 two of these were societies for the production and sale of cured fish, fish 

 oil and guano. All of these except two were directly organized by the 

 Fisheries Department. The newness of these numerous societies has, of 

 course, brought down the average of members and capital which recently 

 stood at about 1,900 members; it is noteworthy that 256 of these were 

 females, the women of the fisherfolk being co-workers with the men in 

 industry and especially in curing and selling. The ' own ' (actually paid 

 up) capital was Rs. 25,388, and loans had been given for over Rs. 40,511, 

 of which 8,736 were paying off usurious debt. Deposits were small since 

 the members have subscribed their own cash, but Rs. 4,714 had been 

 borrowed from central banks. 



19. Owing to very serious outbreaks along the coast of cholera, small- 

 pox, and influenza, this work was seriously hampered and several even of 

 the older societies temporarily ceased active business ; otherwise more would 

 have been done. Nevertheless the proportion of societies to the fisher 

 population is about 1 in 5,300. 



20. It is to these societies that we look for the general development in 

 status, independence, and intelligence of the fisherfolk and for their financial 

 regeneration ; it is only among an awakened population that we can hope 

 to introduce the fishery developments on which work has begun in Tanur 

 and elsewhere, and to enable them to take their place as free fishermen. 



