64 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



tion and more remunerative employment of 

 workers. An acre of good land will nourish 

 one ox or two sheep ; bleak mountain 

 pasture will hardly maintain one sheep : 

 the fishing banks will often provide ten 

 times this amount of food per acre ; the 

 natural fertility of these banks is, com- 

 paratively speaking, a permanent quality, 

 and can only be injuriously affected by 

 marketing immature fish to an exhaustive 

 extent. The British Government does not 

 need to spend money on exploiting these 

 amazing supplies -of food. What is re- 

 quired is that the British people should 

 realize the possibilities, and should be 

 stimulated by using fish foods in greater 

 proportion, to demand that this splendid 

 reserve should be utilized. As soon as the 

 demand is created, as soon as proper 

 organization among the railway companies 

 results in reducing carriage rates to the 

 lowest possible scale and improving railway 

 services, the aptitude of the British fisher- 

 men will be encouraged, and the resultant 

 profitable nature of the business will soon 

 enlarge commercial undertakings and in- 

 crease the catching power. The industry 



