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of some intelligent person, who should have power to make 

 alterations in the bed of the river, so as to increase its productive 

 power as a spawning bed, or to improve its capabilities for angling 

 by stoning it, &c. At present, proprietors are chary of doing 

 anything at their own expense, because other people may benefit 

 by it as much as they, without incurring expense." 



Another proprietor in the Ness District wrote : " The Board 

 does not work satisfactorily, the whole power being vested in the 

 upper proprietors, since they succeeded in depriving me of the 

 chairmanship, by reducing my rent from the highest in the district 

 to its present low rate. Under present circumstances, upper and 

 lower proprietors can scarcely agree." 



From Nairn Fishery District the following remarks came : 

 " A Board has been constituted, but is not in a working state." 

 " The Nairn will never be a fishing river. It is valuable only for 

 breeding." 



From Lochy Fishery District the following remarks came : 

 " Undue weight and importance is given to the proprietor who 

 has the largest rental, as regards his right to sit as chairman, with 

 a deliberative as well as a casting vote. The consequence is, 

 that he assumes and acts as an autocrat." 



From Creran District the following came : " There is no 

 Board here. The formation of a Board should be compulsory ; 

 or proprietors who assess themselves for the protection of the 

 fishings should be entitled to exercise all powers for the protec- 

 tion of the fish, without the interference of those proprietors who 

 consider their fishings valueless. At present, those who wish to 

 protect the salmon are prevented by others, who have little 

 interest hi the fish." 



From Awe District the following answer came : " This Board 

 may illustrate the working of Boards as constituted under the 

 Acts. There are two upper and two lower proprietors on the 

 Board, the chairman being a lower proprietor, and having a 

 casting vote. One of the upper proprietors has not been repre- 

 sented at the Board, but should be. The lower proprietors could 

 have carried any measure against the upper, who have therefore 

 practically no power to compel the Board to carry the Act into 



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