514 SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCOTLAND. 



ment, a power which the Boards of Conservators in England 

 have possessed since 1873. In important cases, right of 

 appeal to the Fishery Board or the Home Secretary might 

 be reserved if it should be thought necessary. The in- 

 spector should be permitted to exercise his discretion, 

 within, perhaps, certain limits, as to the duration of the 

 annual and weekly close times, as well as the dates at 

 which they are to commence and end. As we have seen, 

 the Act of 1862 rigidly fixes the annual close time at 168 

 days and 36 hours respectively. In England the Home 

 Secretary has power to extend or vary the annual close 

 time, though it is nominally fixed by statute at 1 54 days. 

 In Ireland the inspectors are only limited to a minimum of 

 168 days. 



The compulsory removal of obstructions is another 

 matter which might be handed over to the inspector with 

 advantage, as he would not have the same difficulty in 

 strictly enforcing the law as the District Boards may have, 

 owing to local influences. 



We confess we are unable to see the great advantage to 

 be derived from appealing to the Secretary of State on 

 matters such as these, with which, even with the assistance 

 available to him, he is probably not so conversant as those 

 who have to refer to him, or whose opinions he is required 

 to review. On the contrary, the system is often the cause 

 of great delay in instituting important improvements, owing 

 to the necessity of waiting for his confirmation of any pro- 

 posal. Appeal to the Home Secretary should not there- 

 fore be competent, except in cases where important private 

 interests were involved, and even these, if too important 

 for the inspector, might with greater advantage be left to 

 the arbitrament of the sheriff of the county concerned. 



