188 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



Herring Fishery Board of Scotland has for many years 

 administered a small Government grant of from 2500 to 

 .3000 a year for the construction and maintenance of piers 

 and harbours. With the limited means thus placed at its 

 command, combined with local subscriptions raised by the 

 fishermen and, in some cases, with the funds of local bodies, 

 it has done much good in improving most of, if not all, the 

 harbours on the east coast of Scotland. The British Fisheries 

 Society, a body created by Act of Parliament in 1786, with 

 powers to develop the fisheries generally, and with special 

 privileges granted to it in furtherance of its work, has also 

 achieved a considerable amount of good, having con- 

 structed at least two harbours, those at Wick and Ullapool. 

 The latter town, indeed, owes its existence to the herring 

 fishery and to the harbour which that Society founded there 

 about a century ago. 



In Ireland the State has from time to time granted sums. 

 of money, varying in amount, to the Public Works Depart- 

 ment, to be expended in building, maintaining, and im- 

 proving fishery harbours, the average annual expenditure 

 upon which during the last forty years has been between 

 ;2OOO and .3000. The exceptional condition of Ireland 

 induced Parliament in 1875 to authorise the grant of loans 

 to fishermen, to enable them to buy boats and gear, and 

 thus to take advantage of the existing facilities for fishing. 

 This arrangement does not come strictly under the general 

 question of harbour accommodation, but it may be con- 

 veniently referred to here, since it has been the means, 

 according to the reports of the Inspectors of Irish fisheries, 

 of providing many localities with nets and boats, where 

 harbours and piers erected or maintained by the Board 

 of Works were lying idle and unused, and where the waters 

 were teeming with fish which came and went uncaught. 





