THE MARKET 315 



II 



The solicitude of the administration of the market is 

 never disinterested ; there is always a bill to pay. It 

 must be admitted that in some of the French fishing 

 ports the dues are very moderate. At Boulogne they 

 never exceed ij per cent, on the sales. At La 

 Rochelle the sellers have to pay three-halfpence for each 

 place or table, and the buyers an auction due of 3 

 per cent, on the sale price. From the "Report of the 

 Administration for the year 1907, Commune of La 

 Rochelle/' I quote the following figures : 



REVENUES OF THE FISH MARKET. 



Auction Dues (3 per cent, of the amount of sales) : s . d. 



Grand Encan ............... 4>799 J 9 8 



Petit Encan ............... 799 8 9^ 



Place Dues (id. per place) : 



Grand Encan ............ *. 3>357 16 2^ 



Petit Encan .:.,.. ^ ............ 1,27713 5 



Storage Dues, Packing Hall: 



Grand Encan ............... 9 12 o 



Total ...... 10,244 10 i 



In 1906 the total was 558 less. In 1907 the total of 

 the sales was 186,612, as compared with 184,256 in 

 1906. Of the 10,244 received by the city only 1,200 

 was spent upon the needs of the market. 



These dues differ in different cities. Last year was 

 published a careful examination, full of details and 

 references, of the municipal bye-laws of the city of Havre. 

 By the terms of the municipal resolution of November 21, 

 1899, relating to sale by auction, and that of December 

 30, 1905, relating to octroi duties, fish must be taken to 

 the market at least half an hour before the opening of the 

 first sale, and each seller may make use of two tables only, 

 or a total area of two square metres, on which to 



