204 THE SALMON. 



or other substance produced in any such manufacture, or 

 shall wilfully do any act connected with any such manu- 

 facture whereby the water in any such stream, etc., 

 shall be fouled." This enactment has in some cases been 

 beneficially put in operation, and the English Inspectors 

 of Fisheries report (1863) that, under similar enactments 

 in England, a great deal of pollution had been prevented, 

 and some cured, not only without loss, but with con- 

 siderable profit to the manufacturers, especially gas 

 manufacturers and papermakers. There is, however, a 

 great want both of uniformity and effectiveness in the 

 laws relating to this species of nuisance, and as the 

 nuisance is daily growing greater, the need of a general 

 and effective law is daily becoming more felt and more 

 clearly expressed. 



There is here a little danger, as well as a great op- 

 portunity. There is the danger that those whose chief 

 object is only the suppression of bad smells may consent 

 to attain their object by some means, such as the dis- 

 charge of chloride of lime, which, though depopulating 

 the rivers, might lessen the evil to the dwellers on the 

 river-banks. There is a great opportunity to all con- 

 cerned, whether for property, or sport, or health, to make 

 common cause against a great evil, which every day 

 becomes not only greater, but more difficult of remedy, 

 and which already has attained such magnitude and is 

 invested with such difficulties that redress is not likely 

 to be obtained by any means short of an employment 

 of all the strength that can be obtained by the efforts 

 of special interests, combined with the action of public 

 opinion. 



