SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCOTLAND. 525 



industries of the country, or things would never have been 

 allowed to come to the pass they have. The health of the 

 community ought to be the first consideration, not to speak 

 of fish life at all, and we do not see how it will ever be 

 possible to stamp out those zymotic diseases which are the 

 scourge of the country, until pollution of rivers is put down 

 with a strong hand. There are several cases of poisoning 

 and one of death on record, as caused by these pollutions 

 in the Tweed, and we are satisfied many more could be 

 authenticated. 



The question is a great one, no doubt, but it is perfectly 

 possible to handle it. It has been shown over and over 

 again, both by the River Pollution Commission and other 

 authorities, that there are plenty of means whereby the 

 noxious matters may be artificially destroyed or removed 

 in the manufactories or in sewage works, so that the liquid 

 which is allowed to flow into the river is rendered entirely 

 harmless. In some paper mills where esparto is largely 

 used, evaporators were at one time introduced, which served 

 the purpose efficiently, but because it was found that they 

 simply paid the cost of working, and left no profit, they 

 were given up. This, and many shameful evasions of the 

 law by making hidden outlets in the river for their abomi- 

 nations, show how much some (for, fortunately, there are 

 honourable exceptions) manufacturers care for anything 

 beyond their own pockets. They will do nothing till they 

 are forced to do it. It is not expected that profit can be 

 made out of those methods of purification, but manufac- 

 turers ought to be very thankful if they can destroy or use 

 up the noxious matters on their own premises without any 

 cost to themselves. Let it cost them what it may (and, at 

 the worst, it is only reducing their large profits to a small 

 extent), there ought not to be a shadow of doubt that they 



