ADMINISTRATION IN ENGLAND 107 



Devon, and at present it is the case in Northum- 

 berland, and notably in Lancashire. In the case of 

 the latter authority there are two marine labora- 

 tories where scientific investigations are carried 

 on ; a small scientific staff is employed, and the 

 vessels and officers of the committee assist in such 

 work. This organisation has been made possible 

 only by the assistance of the former technical 

 instruction committees of the counties and 

 boroughs, and by the provision in the Act of 1895 

 which legalises the expenditure of public money 

 on investigations connected with the culture of 

 shell-fish. These provisions are, however, far 

 from being satisfactory, and it must be confessed 

 that the amount of scientific work which has 

 been carried on by the local committees is paltry 

 and inadequate in comparison with the value of 

 the industry concerned. The provision for the 

 collection of fishery statistics is also very unsatis- 

 factory. This is work which could be performed 

 very well by the local organisations, especially in 

 regard to those small fisheries which are only of 

 local importance, but which may nevertheless be 

 the object of much solicitude. The Act of 1888 

 does empower the committees to collect statistics, 

 if required by the central authority, and with the 

 assistance of money provided by Parliament. But 

 hitherto such assistance has not been provided. 



On the whole, then, the system of local 

 regulation of the fisheries, as originally contem- 



