39 



in regard to Mr. Fryer's proposal interfering in any way 

 with the Association, he should not have presided at this 

 Conference, but as far as he understood from Mr. Fryer, 

 and certainly from the paper he had just heard, he gathered 

 that what Mr. Fryer desired was more that there should 

 be some central department to which those who were 

 interested in and connected with the fisheries of the 

 United Kingdom should be able to communicate, and 

 which did not now exist in any way. In his experience, 

 especially during the last four or five years, whenever he 

 had to make any communication with the Government 

 with respect to fisheries, there was always a doubt to what 

 department to go to — whether to the Home Office to ask a 

 question of the Inspector of Salmon Fisheries, or to the Board 

 of Trade to ask Mr. Cecil Trevor relative to depredations 

 by foreign or English vessels, or a question on oysters, 

 or in connection with the foreshore, or to Mr. Gray, if it 

 were concerning grievances respecting the lights for fishing 

 vessels, and other matters. There was no central authority 

 whatever to go to. Now, if he wanted any information with 

 regard to the United States, he should at once communicate 

 with his friend. Professor Brown Goode, or Professor 

 Spencer Baird ; if with regard to Canada, he should go to 

 Mr. Wilmot ; if connected with German fisheries, he should 

 go to the Dcutscher Fischcrei Verein ; but here in England 

 there was no central authority to go to, and that, he under- 

 stood, was the main object of Mr. Fryer's proposal. In 

 numerous cases he had found that the Government of the 

 day — it did not signify what Government it was — seemed 

 to legislate first and then to hear the fishermen's complaints 

 with regard to legislation which had been passed. He had 

 found it so to his own cost, for one of the most important 

 questions which had been under discussion for several years 



