292 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



The receptacles into which all value intermediate between 

 fishermen and consumers falls appear to be five : 



1. Carriers who receive fair remuneration. 



2. Carriers who receive unfair remuneration. 



3. Fair riskers, meaning thereby necessary intermediate 



traders, who receive a fair profit. 



4. Unfair riskers, or unnecessarily intermediate traders 



or those who receive an unfair profit. 



5. Space, as when wholesome or edible fish is thrown on 



the land to rot as manure, or is otherwise lost as 

 food, because there is no accommodation for effecting 

 its sale, or because it is removed from consumption 

 for other reasons. 



In regard to fair carriers and unfair carriers, including 

 under carriers, the receivers of market tolls and of other 

 similar incidental expenses connected with carriage, it may 

 be said upon the evidence that fish-carriers generally do 

 not receive more than their fair remuneration. Argument 

 on this point is unnecessary, as the evidence is ascertainable 

 and fixed ; it involves merely a reference to railway charges, 

 varying from 2is. to 40^. a ton, almost irrespective of dis- 

 tance, for land-borne fish ; or, in the case of sea-borne fish, 

 to the competition, upon ordinary mercantile principles, of 

 the cost of chartering a vessel from the fishing-boat or 

 fishing-port to the consumer's market, according to distance 

 and tons carried. 



The question of drawing a distinction between fair traders 

 and unfair traders is one for consumers alone to settle ; if 

 there be unfair and unnecessary traders, consumers have 

 the power to discover and eliminate them. This power, 

 from being thus exercised by consumers, who are private 

 individuals, and not a political corporation like the State, 

 need not be hampered by any consideration for the vested 



