October 24.' 1918 



NATURE 



149 



emphasise in the strongest manner the neci 

 for the organisation on a ntifit 



•arch and education. Proposals lor the reform 

 of the Fisher) Authoritj consist oi the suggestion 

 that the existing Fishen Board should cease to 

 exist, or, rather, that ii should l>e "assimilated 

 in form to that of other Public Departments," 

 being "completely manned by Civil Servants and 



With a permanent head." anil coming into relation 



with the industry through a Consultative Hoard. 



Tin- Memorandum before us gives a short 



iunt of the pre-war yield ol North Kuropean 



sea-fisheries. In the year 1912 Kurope took 



about 7000/. per 100,000 inhabitants, Norway 



00/., German} 3000L, Greal Britain 29,000/., 



and Scotland 7^,000/. This position oi (ireat 



Britain it is our dutj to maintain. 



The scheme tor the organisation oi scientific 

 irch and fishery education exhibits a degree 



oi insight into the conditions ol the industry and 



a familiarity with the problems involved such as 

 no previous recommendations have disclosed. I In 

 e. hole situation has materiall) changed since 

 pre-war days. Ought our participation in inter- 

 national schemes ol fisher) investigation to ter- 

 minate/ Should any scheme oi scientific research 

 aim at the co-ordination of the English, Scottish, 

 and Irish Authorities/ The Memorandum says 

 "Yes'' to both questions. British interests in 

 North Eui eries are so outstanding that 



they call for adequate attention; some other 

 nations may not be prepared to go on with the 

 work ot the International Council, and if thev do 

 the Continent will again become the centre ot 

 gravity ol the organisation, while in the industry 

 Great Britain will remain the predominant 

 partner; and, finally, the expense of time and 

 money entailed by the Frequent conferences under 

 cheme was unattended l>v proportionate 

 results. But all this need not impl) isolation in 

 marv n onl) formal withdrawal 



from t!ie .existing s< hi 



In place ot' the three national Fisher) i 



men- iei j : lommittei s, 



which before the war instigated scientific research, 



the Memorandum suggest s a single central o mncil 



having nds voted by [mperial 



Parliament, ["he i ought to contain repre- 



sentati' I >, partment, oi the 



1 ' the fishing-vessel 



. and of the industrial concerns dealing 



... by-products, transport, 



and refrigeration. Recognising the movement in 



the public mind towards devolution of authorit) 



, the " v nal impoi tance 

 bining scientific research with industry," and the 

 ration between the expert 

 and the entrepreneur, the drafters oi the Memo- 

 randum ''—i'il centralisation in London as detri- 

 mental. " It could not be accepted. " The I 



id of which ought to be a chairman and 



. a man conversant with fishery matters, 



"and not appointed for political reasons," v. >uld 



expend, direct and allocate the administration of 



ports, memoirs, and results ol 



\ . 2556, VOL. 102] 



research, advist on supporting scientific \ 



in unofficial laboratories, di 



schemes of investigation and systems of statist 



-■He. lion, conduct propaganda, appoint ageit- 

 abroad, publish intelligence, and conduct a (is 

 journal. 



But the Central Council would not establish 



lab. iratOl ies or actually 1011! c 



gation. Thai would be the work of the English, 

 Scottish, and Irish Fisher) Departments, and of 

 the Marine Biological Association ol the United 

 Kingdom (for "in respect that pure scien 

 the fountain from which applied science d 

 its life and force, the Marine Biological As- 

 tion should receive a generous grant yearly out of 

 the funds received by the Central Council"). 

 Each of these four organisations would estal 

 and maintain laboratories, and conduct research 

 in accordance with the schemes submitted to them 

 and the funds allocated. They would 

 organist- schemes of fishery education and co- 

 operate with educational authorities for thai 

 purpose. 



Some matters dealt with apply specially to 

 Scotland. The Department should seek to develop 

 tin' new Education Act, which appears to provide 

 foi continuation and technical instruction, but not 

 tor higher fishen education. For the lat 

 purpose a college of fisheries at Aberdeen is 

 gested, similar in scope to the Scottish College 

 of Agriculture. This would provide for the ed 

 tion— "thai is now a clamant necessity" — of 

 those holding responsible positions in industry in 

 all subjects that are relevant. It would providl 

 for training in research, conduct bureaux of scier- 

 tific and economic information, maintain a 

 museum, and carry-on a sub-department for co- 

 operating with local 

 i upils of ability. " 



Here we have the real grip of essential-. 

 future of the industry depends on km dge " 

 "Nothing will so surely secure this as 

 ties for scientific knowledge." II tie outlined 

 schemes for education and scientifii research are 

 ed out, "the Scottish fishing industry will 

 continue to hold its high place among tl 

 of Eun ipe. " 



NOTES. 

 "fin inaugur; first boring for pi 



iuntrv, which took place al Hardstoft, neat 

 eld, on Oi tober 15. was an 1 1 



-' b\ n ason of the confirmatii n 

 fiord "i thi speculations of competent oil- 

 field geologists of die existence of oil in this country. 

 Forty American driller- are engaged on the first borii 



- ii v plant for drill 



wells has been 1 . - of these drillings 



ma.le in the \ i ci nil \ of Chesterfield. Each ot I 



will he full) equipped lor a maximum depth 



anil ill. principal occurrence of oil i- e 



between 2000 ft. and this maximum. Lord ' 



io w in, ni the nation is so much tssist- 



ance he has rendered in this . ork. claimed 



that although in Ami - n ntal drilling 



would tie known as " wild-i 



