218 



THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



Facilities to 

 fishermen for 

 acquiring 

 scientific 

 knowledge. 



General 

 conclusions. 



many other not less useful if more humble purposes to 

 serve in the daily administration of the Fishery Laws. 



The value of scientific research systematically carried on 

 by the State, or under State supervision, would lie not only 

 in the assistance it would afford to the servants of the State 

 in administering the law and in directing its amendment, 

 but also in the opportunity it would afford to the fishing 

 population of satisfying themselves that the State was right 

 in any action it might take, based on the results of its 

 scientific information. The dissemination among the fisher- 

 men, on State authority, of information which they could 

 hardly be expected to acquire themselves, but which they 

 could, when properly directed, prove for themselves, would 

 reconcile them to many decisions about the correctness of 

 which they would otherwise prove sceptical. The State 

 already undertakes the direction of " art " education, and 

 acts directly as a teacher of " science " generally, with 

 special application to mining and engineering pursuits. 

 It could hardly render greater service to the great national 

 fishing industries than by affording facilities to the fishermen 

 for applying the teachings of science to the practical opera- 

 tions of their craft. This might be done by encouraging 

 the creation of local museums and libraries having a special 

 bearing on the fisheries, by giving prominence, in the schools 

 under State regulation in the great fishing centres, to subjects 

 connected with this important subject, and by countenancing 

 a National Society devoted to the interests of the fisheries. 



To sum up the matter,, the present position which the 

 State holds in this country towards the fisheries and fisher- 

 men may be briefly stated as follows : 



After seven centuries of legislation, during which the 

 fisheries have undergone a vast development, and have seen 

 great changes, both in the methods of working them, and in 



