95 



Wellington canteen. We have the advantage in this 

 country and with the market that will take our goods, of 

 not being bound by trade customs or a fixed and hide- 

 bound public taste ; if the products are good and also 

 cheap they will be readily bought, even if they are not 

 in the precise form or with the appearance or flavour — 

 perhaps the result of adulteration — required by, say, 

 English customers ; our " sardines " might find a poor 

 market amongst Europeans who have been accustomed 

 to French sardines or even to Norwegian " sprats" put 

 up in particular ways and in the familiar containers, just 

 as it was found that American '' sardines," though well 

 packed and of excellent quality, could find no sale in 

 Europe solely because of the dift'erence in form and 

 method. Our markets, however, have no " custom " in 

 this matter, and only demand soundness and cheapness. 

 But it will, I think, be found, certainly within the current 

 year, that our goods are attractive in every way, and 

 they are absolutely without adulteration, being "pure 

 food " in every detail, 



42. Towards the close of the year arrangements 

 were made with the Travancore and Baroda States 

 whereby two young men from each State will study 

 pisciculture and curing work in our stations during the 

 current year ; one has already arrived from Baroda 

 to learn ostreiculture, etc., under Mr. Hornell. 



43. After the fashion described in one of Esop's 

 fables, two contradictory criticisms are frequently ad- 

 dressed to me ; the one supposes that Government is 

 intending itself to develop a fishing industry by means 

 of its own trawlers, curing yards, etc., and criticises it on 

 these hypothetical grounds ; the other animadverts on 

 the supposed delay in putting departmental products 

 commercially on the market ; " Does Government intend 

 to run factories to the injury of an existing trade ? " asks 

 one ; " Why does not the department market a supply 

 of tinned goods, smoked fish, etc., to meet the demand ? " 

 cries the other. 



The answer to the first is the often repeated negation ; 

 there is no intention that Government goods or enter- 

 prise shall injure any industry or trade either existing or 

 prospective. On the contrary. Government efforts are 

 directed to improving the indigenous industry and to 

 stimulate or even create where for various reasons the 

 industry in various branches is non-existent ; such, for 



