FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 221 



for protecting fish against hurtful influences, &c. ; but no 

 less must it study the principles of political economy, the 

 ways and means of carrying on business in the most 

 advantageous manner ... It must likewise study the 

 true relation toward each other of all the industries carried 

 on by means of water. . . . Fishery legislation must also 

 have due regard to judicial and administrative considera- 

 tions ; it must be based on a thorough knowledge of the 

 condition of fisheries in other countries, of the fishery laws 

 of those countries, as well as of the laws and administrative 

 regulations of all branches of industry relating to fishing ; 

 and it must study the manner in which laws are carried out 

 in foreign countries, and the effect of such laws 'on the 

 fishing interests. . . . From the Government we must, 

 above everything else, expect that it will strictly carry out 

 the laws made for protecting the fisheries. . . . To the 

 Government we must likewise look for those general, far- 

 reaching, and, therefore, successful measures which the 

 fishing interests require from time to time, even where there 

 is a good fishery law." 



However good in principle our fishery laws may be, 

 points can hardly fail to arise in which they are capable of 

 modification in detail. On the other hand, the history of 

 the fisheries, both here and in other countries, is a guarantee 

 that occasions will arise when groundless demands for 

 change will have to be resisted. To meet both these con- 

 tingencies, and to qualify itself for putting into practice the 

 principle of " the greatest good of the greatest number," 

 the State should neglect no opportunity of mastering, 

 through the agency of a duly-qualified department, armed 

 with all needful powers, every detail, natural as well as 

 artificial, of this great industry. Norway and the United 

 States have taken the initiative in thus combining scientific 



