340 EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT, STATE 
well be forgiven for its length, in consideration of the happy augury 
it holds out of the enduring nature of the Association’s services to 
one of our most deserving industries. 
The Association endeavoured to ascertain not only the extent of 
the evil with which it had set itself to battle, but also the best 
means of holding it in check, by adopting the method of summoning 
annual conferences, to which were invited fish merchants, smack- 
owners, and fishermen from all parts of the coast, members of Par- 
liament, and other guardians of the interests of the nation, and even 
representatives of such scientific bodies as endeavour to cultivate an 
acquaintance with matters marine. Subjects were selected for dis- 
cussion and votes taken, which latter would perhaps have been 
more representative had not the power of voting been confined to 
members of the Association. . 
Every student of matters social is well aware that a Conference 
is usually prolific only to the third generation. It begets a Reso- 
lution, the offspring of which, adhering to the strictly discontinuous 
type of variation, is a Deputation. A deputation has been described 
as a “noun of multitude, which signifies many but does not signify 
much ;” and the unanimity with which the sufficiency of this defini- 
tion is accepted by those in office, of whatever shade of politics, is 
alone sufficient to prove that “‘ great minds think alike.” 
It is not surprismg that the conferences with which we are 
dealing achieved, for several years, only the usual result, or want 
of it, since it cannot be expected that any parliament will hghtly 
undertake legislation when the bulk of its members only profess 
such acquaintance with its subject as for once is actually some- 
what akin to that which they possess; while, strange as it may 
possibly appear to less enlightened nations, the principal kingdom 
in the Union has no department capable of dealing with the 
matter by minor methods, though in Scotland there is a Fishery 
Board, and in Ireland a Fishery Office, entrusted with very con- 
siderable powers within the limits of their respective countries.* 
The conferences, however, cannot be said to have been wholly 
without result, since in 1893 a Parliamentary Committee was ap- 
pointed to hear evidence and furnish a report. On this report the 
hopes or fears of those interested are at present centred, according 
to the light in which they regard the recommendations it contains. 
So far my remarks have only, and in the briefest possible manner, 
dealt with the attempts made by the N. 8. F. P. Association, as 
representative of the fish trade, to induce the Government to take 
* Somewhat similar powers are possessed by District Fisheries Committees of the County 
Councils in England, but each Council is independent of the others and, practically, of 
any central authority. 
