356 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [16] 



55 per ceut. It has been objected to the testing iu Scotland that it was 

 not in conformity with the ideas of modern times, and that it benefited 

 only those salters who were not able properly to superintend the salt- 

 ing, and had therefore to have other persons to do it for them. It is 

 evident that if the tester refuses to imx^ress the crown stamp on a con- 

 siderable quantity of herring, this shows that the salting has not been 

 properly superintended. Those persons, therefore, who do not person- 

 ally superintend the salting of their fish derive great benefit from the 

 testing. This testing, moreover, is considered with great favor in the 

 German market. In Germany the testing and stamping is frequently 

 considered such an absolutely sure indication of the good quality of the 

 herring that they are sold from one person to the other without being 

 examined. This is a great advantage, for if the barrels are to be opened 

 merely to examine the quality of the herring, these will often suffer 

 thereby. The testing is also an advantage for the salters. They find it 

 easier to obtain a loan of money if they can show that they export crown- 

 stamped herring. It must also be taken into consideration that the 

 tested and stamped herring fetch a somewhat higher price in the market, 

 and that it is much easier for new beginners in the salting business to 

 get up in the world if they have their herring tested and stamped, for 

 otherwise the large firms would almost make a monopoly of the expor- 

 tation of herring. 



The objections which are raised against the testing of herring are 

 generally these, that it is a violation of the fundamental principles of 

 free trade, and also that thereby the introduction of still more improved 

 methods of preparing herring is prevented. The last-mentioned objec- 

 tion would, to some extent, be true, if the enormous masses of herring 

 which are brought on shore did not make it impossible to have more 

 than one good method of preparing the- herring ; for all that is required 

 is that the large quantity of herring yielded by rich herring-fisheries 

 shall be prepared so as to present a fine article and find a ready and 

 extensive sale. As I have, in a recent work on the salting and testing 

 of herring, and the herring trade in general, discussed more fully the 

 question of testing, and its advantages and disadvantages, I shall not 

 dwell any longer on this subject. 



A method of furthering the fish trade which has been employed of 

 late years, and which has acted somewhat against the method of test- 

 ing, especially when we take into consideration the possibility for new 

 beginners to work their way, is the holding of fishery exhibitions. It is 

 clear that the prizes which are given at such exhibitions prove of some, 

 though, perhaps, not very great, advantage to those who receive them 

 (those who do not receive any prizes suffering a corresponding disad- 

 vantage), without furnishing a guarantee that the articles which have 

 received a prize will be good when brought into the market ; for even 

 if the article iu after times deteriorates, it will retain under all circum- 



