[151] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



There lias been considerable opposition to the office of inspector- gen- 

 eral, and strong efforts have been made by fish-dealers to abolish the 

 office. In Maine there has been no inspector-general since 1875, and it 

 is claimed by many that there is greater satisfaction among purchasers 

 than formerly. The question has been discussed in the Massachusetts 

 legislature at various times, and has always resulted in the retention of 

 the office as one that is important to the security of purchasers. 



Since there is no national law covering the inspection of fish or the 

 protection of the packers, it is claimed by the dealers in Massachusetts 

 that mackerel are adulterated oustide the State, so that those inspected 

 in the State reach the consumer in a poorer grade. A remedy sug- 

 gested is to pack mackerel as they do other merchandise, by any weight 

 or style of packages, and brand honestly on each head the grade, the 

 weight, and the owner's name, and do it in such manner as to prevent 

 repacking without destroying the trade-mark. " Bayers will demand 

 original packages if all such names as cover fish that correspond to 

 the mark on each head, and packages that have been tampered with 

 will be rejected. There seems to be but one objection to this plan, 

 namely, a large buyer inland might find it necessary to repack for 

 better preservation, necessitating the breaking of the original seal. 

 But this, we appreheud, is not serious." There have been other plaus 

 suggested as substitutes for the existing laws, but the legislature has 

 decided that the present regulations are just and proper. 



The laws of Rhode Island provide for the election in each town of 

 one or more packers of fish, who "shall see that the same have been 

 properly pickled and properly repacked in casks, in good shipping 

 order, with good salt sufficient in each cask to preserve such fish from 

 damage to any foreign port." The packers give bond to the town treas- 

 urer for the faithful performance of their duties. 



Every kind of pickled fish must be sorted, and one kind only be put 

 into one cask. The casks must be "well seasoned, and bound with 

 twelve hoops; those for menhaden and herring of the capacity to hold 

 28 gallons, and those for other fish of the capacity, if a barrel, to hold 200 

 pounds, and if a half-barrel, to hold 100 pounds weight of fish; each cask 

 to be full, and the fish sound and well cured." 



The law provides for three grades of pickled codfish and mackerel, 

 and imposes fines upon packers who neglect to obey the law, as well as 

 upon any person who shifts fish from a cask alter the same has been 

 branded by the packers. 



Laws for the inspection of pickled fish in Connecticut relate to pickled 

 shad, and provide that they shall be "well cleansed, and pickled in 

 strong brine, and shall remain in such brine at least fiiteen days before 

 they shall be put up for market, and shall be put in barrels or half-bar- 

 rels, the barrels containing 200 pounds each and the half-barrels 100 

 pounds each of fish." Three denominations of shad are defined, the size 

 being determined by the number required to fill a barrel. 



