THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 547 



against Protection as applied to fisheries, until they had 

 read the Committee's Report. 



It is needless here to dwell on the contents of the 

 document, as most of the matter contained in it has been 

 more amply developed in the preceding pages than in the 

 Report itself. A special mention, however, ought to be made 

 of Appendix I to the Report, containing an account of wit- 

 nesses examined. Nearly all these witnesses were concerned 

 in fishery or trade in fish ; and their evidence, taking all in 

 all, was a mass of contradiction. Parties concerned in the 

 Grand Fishery in 1854 stoutly maintained that obligatory 

 assay of cured-herring was the only way of warranting its 

 quality, and fairly did warrant it ; whereas two great dealers 

 in fish stated in as many words that assay, as then practised, 

 gave no warrant whatever, and one of them added that, if made 

 facultative, it might be quite as efficient as when obligatory. 

 Cured-herring fishers and their representatives denied that 

 herring caught by bumboats could yield a tolerable article 

 when cured ; fresh-herring bumboat owners, as well as 

 herring dealers, were entirely confident as to the contrary, 

 and if they did not strongly insist on the removal of the 

 Grand Fishery's monopoly, it was chiefly because their own 

 was expected to be withdrawn together with the other. 

 One dealer averred that the " Vereeniging van Zoutharing- 

 reederyen " was ruining herring commerce by enforcing 

 artificial prices and restraining supplies. Another (who 

 was also a shipowner) stated that, as things were, the 

 association acted for the best of both fishers and dealers 

 by regulating the market ; but added that entire liberty 

 was the only chance for the herring fishery, whereas 

 delegates from the College of the Grand Fishery strongly 

 insisted on having existing laws maintained, and one buss- 

 owner from Enkhuizen went the length of stating, in the 



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