57 



strong company was then (May 1006) in process of formation to 

 supply the demand for tliem and for similar goods of the first class for 

 American and European markets. In addition to the canned goods 

 there were large displays of fish-oil of fine quality supplied by various 

 Japanese companies, of cultivated pearls (see infra), of shells, sliell 

 buttons, and corals (much of the so-called Italian coral is really the 

 Japanese coral imported to Italy), ''agar-agar'' (vegetable isinglass) 

 and other products of marine flora including iodine, and so forth. 

 At the Milan Exhibition in 19J6j I saw a similar series of exhibits, 

 the art products in tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl and ornaments 

 made with cultivated pearls being specially noteworthy. One result 

 of exhibiting at the Bergen exhibition was an export to Norway of 

 thread for nets valued at Rs. 1,05,0(>0. It is clear then that the 

 Japanese are utilising exhibitions to their full value both as sources 

 of information and of trade. 



125. Internally they also use exhibitions very freely : as stated 

 above the Fisheries Society had held ten exhibitions up to 1900 ; 

 Government also held a National Fisheries exhibition in 1863 ; in 1890, 

 there was a large fishery branch in the third National Exhibition, 

 and again in 1895 : in 1897 there was a second Fisheries Exhibition, 

 and there have been several other exhibitions since. At first these 

 shows served only as a display of primitive methods and implements 

 but later shows have steadily exhibited the increasing development of 

 the fisheries ; e.g., in 1893 only 14,581 articles were exhibited of no 

 particular value, an important lesson as displaying the simplicity and 

 backwardness of methods, boats, gear, etc. In 1891, however, there 

 were 46,906 articles, including 719 models of boats and implements, 

 together with many manufactured products, etc., showing a consider- 

 able advance in a short period. Such shows diew the attention both 

 of officials, of the trade, and of the public to the subject; they have 

 proved of great educational value, wiiile the competition at successive 

 shows has led to considerable improvements in the goods. 



FISHERY TAXATION. 



-26. The various departmental and Prefectural Fishery agencies, 

 e.g., the Fisheries Institute, the experimental stations, etc., cost a 

 great deal of money ; as mentioned above, the Prefectural Fisheries 

 budget for the current year is 827 lakhs of which about three-fourths 

 are for experimental stations. In Japan the Government does not 

 hesitate to levy special taxes for special operations, the proceeds being 

 probably ear-marked for the operation ; it considers that a fisherman 

 can and must spare four or eight annas, probably from his expenditure 

 on saki (arrack), in consideration of the great improvements which a 

 iniUion such coins would work in the hands of enlightened and expert 



H 



