CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 317 



preserving a good cure as any inspection by a government 

 officer. 



" 2c?, The importance of the brand to the curer and 

 buyer. 



" Its advocates assert that it gives great facility for 

 carrying on the trade, and that without it the difficulty 

 of getting the fish into the German market would be so 

 great, that a serious injury would be done to all connected 

 wdth the catch, cure, or sale of herrings. 



" On the other hand, its opponents allow that it has 

 helped to establish the trade ; but they assert that the 

 time has arrived when all Government interference should 

 cease, and the trade allowed to stand on its own merits 

 alone. They also speak with confidence of being able to 

 carry it on without experiencing the difficulties and in- 

 juries the other party fears The chief value of 



the brand to the purchaser is, that even without knowing 

 anything of the article he is dealing in, he can, w^ithout 

 any trouble or expense, buy parcels of cured herrings, 

 which have been inspected by a government officer, and 

 a certain quality guaranteed by a government brand. 

 Without the brand, he w^ould either have to inspect every 

 parcel he buys, in the same way the officer now inspects 

 them, or, if incompetent to decide on the quality of cure, 

 he would have to employ an agent to do that portion of 

 the work for him." 



After various other remarks of a similar kind, he 

 says : — 



"Having given the whole subject, which was entirely new 

 to me, my most serious consideration, I have no hesitation 

 in advising strongly, that instead of attempting to con- 

 tinue the Government interference in this objectionable 

 manner, it should be entirely withdrawn, after sufficient 



