204 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



lamented in Norway and Holland as well as England ; 

 while such practices as gutting fish at sea and using them 

 as manure have, in many places, been carried on con- 

 tinuously without being accompanied by any change in the 

 quantity of fish. So far as man's operations are concerned, 

 the evidence collected hitherto goes to show that, in regard 

 to the sea fisheries at least, their effect is very slight, and 

 is appreciable at the most within very narrow limits. , 

 Fishery But apart from the question of advantage or disad- 



vantage to the material prosperity of the fisheries, many 

 other matters affecting them call for the intervention of the 

 State. The physical and moral welfare of the men, and 

 particularly of the lads and boys, engaged in the fisheries 

 cannot be disregarded any more than that of any other 

 class of the population. Recent disclosures, indeed, show 

 that more than usual vigilance is required to ensure the 

 proper treatment and protection from unwholesome moral 

 influences of young persons taking to a fisherman's life. 

 The State has been somewhat remiss in neglecting to place 

 the relations between employers and employed in this 

 industry on a proper footing. A Committee recently 

 appointed by the Board of Trade to enquire into this 

 subject has reported that " the unsatisfactory relations 

 existing between the owners and crews of some of the 

 fishing vessels " on our coast are an actual drawback to the 

 progress of the industry. " It is obvious," the Committee 

 adds, " that the most important considerations " depend 

 upon "the condition of the lads, inasmuch as it is upon 

 their character, habits, and competency, and the induce- 

 ments offered to respectable boys to fill their places, that 

 the future conduct of the trade mainly depends." Pro- 

 posals have consequently been made for giving force to 

 these views, and, as the subject is still engaging the 



