362 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



the Scotch. In Ireland the share system is in force. The 

 west coast trawlers work similarly^ to those on the east 

 coast. The Manx boats much resemble the Scotch with 

 their co-operative plan. The Norwegians, Swedes, Belgians 

 and Dutch all sail by the share, but no hard-and-fast rule 

 can be laid down, as these systems vary from time to time 

 according to successive good or bad seasons and other 

 causes. The French used to sail on the co-operative system, 

 each man as far as possible providing nets ; but this has 

 of late years changed to the crews sailing by the month, 

 the average rate being 100 francs per month, the owner 

 finding the provisions and taking all losses. In some cases 

 the crew find their own provisions, but this is the exception. 

 Cases of dispute sometimes arise where a shareman has 

 been injured or taken ill for a period during the progress 

 of the voyage, and a substitute has been shipped by the 

 master or owner regardless of the cost to the man whose 

 place is filled, and looking only to his own interests in 

 losing no time. The voyage is afterwards completed by 

 the sick man on his recovery. Sometimes the sick man 

 will find his own substitute. These disputes might be 

 avoided by power being granted to an independent official 

 to supervise such cases immediately on notice being given. 



The ballasting and means of securing the hatches of 

 fishing vessels is not altogether satisfactory, though in the 

 opinion of the writer it would soon be willingly remedied 

 if attention was called to it from the proper quarter. 



The ballast is frequently iron, covered with stones, 

 shingle, or iron-stone. 



In some cases simply loose boards are laid either wholly 

 or partially over it ; in other cases the boards are fastened 

 down in various ways, though not always securely. The 



best plan fordoing this is to have stanchions properly fixed 



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