41 



apparent, and as the nearer waters seemed to be less prolific tlian 

 formerly and as valuable sea-animals were to be obtained in distant 

 waters, the Government decided to encourage the building of sea- 

 going boats for fishing in the further waters of China, Korea, Siberia, 

 Russia, and even America. The law of 1st April 1905 repealing a 

 law of 1897 provides as follows for the encouragement of Pelagic 

 fishing : — 



(1) A sum not exceeding Rs. 2,25,000 annually may be -spent 

 from Imperial funds for this purpose : this shall include bounties, 

 costs of supervision, stipends of students of such fisheries, etc. ; 



(2) only Japanese subjects, whether individuals or corporations, 

 are entitled to benefit by the law j 



(3) the conditions of assistance are that the persons shall be 

 actually engaged in fishery or in the transport of marine products ; 

 bounties shall vary according to place, season, class of fishing, 

 character and age of the boat, and shall not exceed per annum Rs. 33 

 per ton for existing steamers or Rs. 27 per ton for sailers not older 

 than five years ; four-fifths of the crew must be Japanese; 



(4) the crew of a subsidised boat may also receive bounties not 

 exceeding Rs. 108 per annum for a head fisherman, Rs. 54 for an 

 ordinary fisherman, and Es. 18 fur an apprentice ; 



(5) steamers or motor-boats specially built or fitted with engines 

 according to Government plans, may receive up to Rs. 60 per ton 

 if of iron or steel or composite, and Rs. 45 if of wood only ; 'plns 

 Es. 15 per I.H.P. of a steam engine and Rs. 30 of a petroleum 

 (kerosine)* motor; 



(6) rules shall be framed for carrying out the above provisions ; 



(7) no bounty shall be given if the boat is not actually worked 

 for three-fourths of a fishing season save in the case of force majeure : 

 the same in the case of the crew ; 



(8) no subsidised boat may sell, lend, or pledge any such boat 

 to a foreigner within five years from date of its being first entitled to 

 the bounty, unless he either returns the bounty to Government or 

 unless the boat has become unseaworthy (!) or unless he has received 

 express permission from the Minister; 



(9) a subsidised boat must fish for three-fourths of every fishing 

 season for five years from first becoming entitled to the bounty ; 



* Japanese opinion of the future of the kerosine motor in the fishing industry, is 

 indicated hy this double bounty for such motors as compared with steam. On the 

 U.S.A. eastern coast, both at Boston, Gloucester and elsewhere the petroleum motor is 

 greatly in evidence in fishing boats, launches, and yachts, from the little li H.P. 

 motor in a dory with a one man crew, to the sea-goin^ yacht or to fishing boats with 

 125 I.H.P. auxiliary gasoline motors which I find mentioned in Trade Jouruals ; so also, 

 and perhaps to a still more marked extent, in Scandinavian waters where an auxiliary 

 kerosine motor is fitted to many hundreds of boats. The subject will be more fully 

 examined this summer at the Bergen exhibition, etc. 



