12 
Britain and Ireland, and in particular whether the object 
in view will be best attained by the creation of one 
central body or department acting for England, Scotland 
and Ireland, or by means of separate departments or 
agencies in each of the three countries.’ You will see, 
gentlemen, that that is a very wide reference, and I trust 
that the deliberations of this Committee, which is now in 
course of appointment, will end in some fruitful result.” 
So far the President of the Board of Trade, and I think 
all who are interested in the advancement of knowledge and 
the promotion of fisheries research will agree as to the im- 
portance of the announcement: but as I have had the 
honour of being appointed a member of Sir Herbert Max- 
well’s Committee on Ichthyological Research, it would be 
highly improper for me to make any comments upon the 
work that will be necessary in order to carry out Mr. 
Balfour's suggestions, or upon the results that are likely to 
follow. But quite apart from the Board of Trade Com- 
mittee, it is important that I should urge upon Lancashire 
my conviction that our local waters of the Irish Sea ought 
to be investigated under the auspices of our local Committee. 
Whether or not a great national or international scheme of 
investigation be entered upon, it is most desirable that 
Lancashire, which has obtained credit for an advanced and 
enlightened policy in the past, should recognise its obliga- 
tions—moral if not legal—and should carry out an adequate 
programme of work at sea on similar lines to that of the 
Scottish Fishery Board to the North of us, and to that of 
the Inish Board on our West. ‘The Fisheries Branch of the 
Irish Department of Agriculture has now an organised 
scientific department, with a well known marine biologist, 
Mr. Ernest Holt, as scientific adviser, and an efficient 
steamer, ‘‘ The Helga,” measuring 150 feet in length, which 
a 
