30 THE SALMON 



fishing, without which it would be impossible to 

 catch a tithe of the salmon which the consumer 

 requires, and which the most greedy rod fisher can 

 well spare. My real contention is that in this 

 respect the interests of all classes of fishermen 

 are identical, and that, if the experiment was fairly 

 tried, it would soon be discovered that ' the half was 

 greater than the whole.' We hear some philanthropists 

 and more politicians advocating a compulsory eight 

 hours movement, and one argument used by them in 

 its favour is the increased productiveness which 

 would result from the better quality of the labour 

 done during a shorter period than the present 

 customary working day. I do not desire unneces- 

 sarily to enter upon a controversial topic which does 

 not directly bear upon my subject, but I believe that 

 there can be little doubt, if any, that shorter hours of 

 labour in the particular trade of which I am writing 

 would in the long run benefit the salesman, the 

 consumer, and the humble rod-fisher as well, by 

 greatly increasing the supply of fish in the river. 

 The key to the situation, in my deliberate opinion, is 

 the lengthening of the weekly close time, and the 

 rigid enforcement of the amended law which I 

 suggest. Few indeed are the fish which during the 

 net-fishing season succeed in running the gauntlet 



