40 



fishing localities each for 90 days ; at the station the methods of canning 

 were taught, and the best method of preparing dried bonito (Katsa- 

 bushi) in the other places, from 10 to 20 young men being taught at 

 each place. At the station course lectures were given for two or three 

 hours a day when actual canning was not going on ; during practical 

 work the students were formed into small groups of two (^r three and 

 their work regularly reported on; subjects were, the proper selection 

 of all materials, the preparation oE the product, the making of tins 

 and handling of machines, etc. The students were between 18 and 

 36 years of age, nine of whom were engaged in fishery work ; all proved 

 eager at study hoping to improve their prospects and successfully 

 completed the course ; five of them at once started business on the 

 new methods, 



89. At only one of the other four localities where the preparation 

 of bonito flesh by improved methods was taught, were regular pupils 

 (18) received ; at th(} others the preparation was simply carried on by 

 the experts and the public were invited to inspect the processes wdiich 

 those engaged in the business readily did and asked innumerable 

 questions ; at first, it is said, they objected to and ridiculed the new 

 processes considering the old fashioned ones good enough, but speedily 

 recognised the economy in labour and material of the new methods 

 and are now adopting them, the most convincing argument being that 

 114 barrels of bonito prepared by the experts fetched from Rs. 4^ 

 to Rs. 12 more per barrel than the ordinary stuff. 



ENCOURAGEMENT AND PROTECTION. 



90. From the time of the restoration, 1867, the fisheries have been 

 the care of Government, the improvement and extension of the catches, 

 the development of preservation and cansequent trade both home and 

 foreign, and the welfare of the fishermen being the object of constant 

 action both legislative and executive. The greatest stimuli have been 

 described above, viz., those of investigation, experiment and education, 

 but various additional methods have been adopted such as bounties to 

 improve ship-building and deep-sea work, grants-in-aid to Prefectural 

 funds, encouragement and subsidies to fishery nnd the fishery trade 

 associations, rebates of the salt excise duty, rebate of the import duty 

 on oil on exports of canned goods, the establishment of close times 

 and prohibition of injurious methods and implements, protective 

 measures for the safety of fishermen including warnings against the 

 frequent storms, the encouragement of provident and thrift institutions. 



91. Domities for sea-going Jis/iimj vessels.— As already mentioned 

 there was up to the restoration an edict prohibiting the building of 

 vessels above a certain size, or with more than one mast, or of any rig 

 but Japanese, and foreign travel was also prohibited. After the 

 restoration the necessity for developing the fishing industry became 



