28 IMPROVED FISHERY HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION 



pool and to the Irish ports, bound southward, disabled and 

 distressed, a harbour at St. Ives would prove a valuable 

 asylum, and to vessels bound either up or down the Bristol 

 Channel caught with a north-west gale, on a lee-shore, as is 

 often the case, St. Ives would be of the greatest importance. 

 Now, if all this were true 20 years ago, is it not equally 

 true now ? And has not the contention then set up gathered 

 force with the effluxion of time consequent upon the increas- 

 ing magnitude and value of the mercantile marine ? Un- 

 doubtedly a stronger case could be made out for St. Ives 

 now than 20 years ago. But, notwithstanding this, the public 

 will have seen that, practically, St. Ives has up to the present 

 time been ignored, whilst the recommendation respecting 

 Filey, where the Commission advised an expenditure of 

 ;8oo,ooo, has been accepted. Let us see how far the cir- 

 cumstances of St. Ives and Filey are analogous. The 

 authorities who have the decision of this matter are, of course, 

 largely influenced by the returns of the wrecks on the respec- 

 tive coasts. Taking these into consideration, it could be 

 easily demonstrated that there is a pressing need for a har- 

 bour of refuge at Filey or somewhere on the Yorkshire coast." 



" In comparing the wreck roll of that stretch of sea-board 

 with the north coast of Cornwall it is a common practice to 

 limit the figures for the latter to the area from the Land's 

 End to Hartland Point, including the Scilly Isles, and for 

 the former to within the area from the Fern Islands and 

 Flamborough Head. Judged simply in this way the claims 

 of Cornwall do not bear favourable comparison with Filey. 

 But it may be argued, with much justice, that the comparison 

 is not a fair one." 



" In dealing with the north coast it is contended that the 

 area to be embraced should be that within the Land's End 

 and St. David's Head, which is about the same distance as 



