1 1 



have tended to develop the water carnage in its turn again ; 

 and, at the present time, I believe I am right in saying 

 that about 90,000 tons of fish reach Billingsgate by land, 

 while about 42,000 tons reach it by water. Now it is 

 admitted by a very competent authority that the fish which 

 reaches Billingsgate by water arrives in considerably better 

 condition than that which reaches, it by land ; and it is 

 also admitted that the rates of carriage by water are 

 considerably less than the rates of carriage by land. I 

 think, therefore, that we have the elements before us for 

 creating a very healthy competition between water carriage 

 and land carriage of fish. I do not mean for one moment 

 to imply that I should endeavour to destroy land carriage 

 for the sake of promoting water carriage, any more than 

 we should destroy water carriage for the sake of pro- 

 moting land carriage. I think the object of all of us ought 

 to be to promote both kinds of transit, so that there may 

 be a healthy competition between the two. 



Of course you can easily see that fish can be brought 

 by land to any portion of the metropolis ; but, from 

 its very nature, a steamer can only come to a market on 

 the waterside. It seems to me, therefore, essential that, 

 whatever else be done, we should take care in this great 

 metropolis that the main wholesale market of fish should 

 be situated on the waterside. I know that there are many 

 persons, who are quite justified from their position in ex- 

 pressing an authoritative opinion on the subject, who think 

 it is desirable that there should be two wholesale markets 

 in London — one for land-borne, and the other for water- 

 borne fish ; but, personally, I am of a contrary opinion, 

 and I should like, with your leave, to state very shortly 

 my reasons for arriving at that opinion. I am quite 

 sure it is the tendency of all trades at the present day 



