28 FROM AN EASY CHAIR 



mankind. It is a startling fact that so few of those who 

 undertake to lead and to legislate for the people of this 

 country have any real conviction, or even a dim under- 

 standing of this truth. 



In November 1906 a Committee appointed by the 

 Government took evidence as to the desirablity of 

 continuing the international investigation of the North 

 Sea, upon which Great Britain entered five years ago in 

 conjunction with other Northern States. Only a few 

 weeks before, a number of scientific experts engaged in 

 this study of the North Sea, with a view to gaining 

 such knowledge of that great " waste of waters " as may 

 help the nations of adjacent lands to draw from it stores 

 of food without destroying the source or recklessly 

 injuring the supply, were entertained at dinner, at the 

 Guildhall, by the City Fathers, and treated to speeches 

 by hereditary legislators. The view expressed by these 

 speakers was that the interests of the great fishing 

 industry and of the fish trade were best understood by 

 the practical fisherman. Science was a " handmaid," 

 useful in her place, but not to be permitted to under- 

 mine established interests and the hoary wisdom of the 

 practical man, her employer. A German expert of 

 high official position, one of the guests, took a different 

 line. He was astonished, even shocked, that Great 

 Britain, the State most largely concerned in the North 

 Sea fisheries, should be hesitating about continuing to 

 take part in the international investigation. In Germany, 

 he said, they took a different course in such matters. 

 Men of business and practical legislators, when called 

 upon to deal with an important problem, sought first of 

 all for scientific knowledge of the conditions in question, 

 as complete and thorough as possible, and then 

 proceeded to act upon the sure foundation gained. 

 More knowledge, much more knowledge as to the causes 

 and conditions at work in regard to the life and move- 

 ments of fishes in the North Sea was needed. The work 



