OF THE GRIMSBY TRAWL FISHERY. 385 
ones ; but the former contains only about 100, and the latter may 
contain about 250, as is commonly the case at Grimsby, or as many 
as 1036, as in an instance reported from Billingsgate. The hopeless 
impossibility of obtaining a correct idea of the fishery from statistics 
which do not distinguish between such boxes requires no argument. 
There is a further method of statistical inquiry, which, if it were 
available, could be utilised by the statisticians as a valuable check on 
the accuracy of their own numerical observations, and would furnish 
in addition the most reliable information of value. The auctioneer 
furnishes to the smack-owner an account of fish sold, in which the 
separate kinds and the quantities (usually also, I believe, the quality 
in regard to size) are enumerated, and a copy of this is handed, at 
least by some owners or companies, to the skipper, who has an 
interest in the distribution of the profits. There might be an 
objection to a copy being handed also to the local statistician, but I 
do not see that there could be any legitimate objection to the in- 
formation being supplied to the central statistical authority. It 1s 
conceivable, nevertheless, that serious opposition, not wholly un- 
connected with considerations of income-tax, might be offered, in which 
case it would be better, perhaps, to make each skipper furnish a 
return only of the quantity of fish landed, in boxes or other local 
measurements. If this were done, the duties of the statistician 
would be lightened, and one man would probably suffice to ensure 
that the skippers’ returns were more or less accurate. 
The skipper should be required, I think, to state whereabouts he 
had been fishing, but it would be a hardship to make him give 
detailed information ; and if he hada good catch from some ground 
not generally known to be productive at the time, such information 
as he vouchsafed would probably be worthless. Some check on the 
value of this latter class of information might be derived from the 
fishery cruisers, were the latter to keep a diary of fishing-vessels 
sighted (if they ever do see any), and furnish weekly lists to the 
ports to which the vessels belonged. Accurate account should be 
kept of vessels entering and leaving the port, whether belonging to 
it or not, s> that in computing the result of the fishery it would be 
possible to check the amount of fish caught by the amount (in 
voyages) of fishing power expended ; and in this, as in other details, 
it would of course be essential to distinguish between trawlers, cod- 
men, &c. 
The Parliamentary Committee expressed themselves in their 
report as “strongly of opinion that any steps which may be taken 
to increase the trustworthy character and fulness of official statistics 
would amply repay the expenditure which may be necessary to 
ensure the improvement ;” and it is to be most sincerely hoped 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. III, NO. V (EXTRA NUMBER). 31 
