32 THE BRITISH FISH TRADE. 



not fulfil the purposes for which it was designed. It has 

 been already stated that the Continental buyers occa- 

 sionally complain that they buy branded herrings which 

 are not of a quality that would entitle them to the brand. 

 It is difficult to see how any other result could happen. 

 The duty of the fishery officers, who award the brand, 

 becomes more difficult precisely as the take becomes 

 larger ; and, however zealous the officers may be, it is 

 impossible for them to see all the contents of every barrel* 

 The brand, therefore, occasionally covers bad articles. It 

 might be possible to argue that a brand, which proved the 

 quality of the fish as accurately as the stamp of the Mint 

 proves the quality and quantity of the gold in a sovereign, 

 served a useful purpose. It is difficult to see what advan- 

 tage can ensue from a brand which does not and cannot 

 fulfil this object. It is a mere wanton restriction on the 

 curer, which should be got rid of at the first opportunity. 



It is remarkable too that this conclusion, still stoutly 

 resisted in Scotland and Parliament, has already been 

 accepted by other nations. Some years ago Norwegian 

 herrings were regularly branded; and in 1856 Admiral 

 Sullivan, the member of the Commission of 1855, who 

 dissented from the conclusions of the majority of its 

 members, wrote of Norwegian herrings that " with the 



* The fishery officers are required to test the quality of the fish by 

 opening a certain proportion of the barrels presented for the brand at 

 the rate of 



9 barrels per hundred in parcels of 100 barrels. 



8 „ „ „ from 100 to 300 barrels. 



7 „ „ „ of above 300 barrels. 



The barrels selected for examination are, as a general rule, to be 

 opened alternately ; i.e. No. i is to be opened at the head end : No. 2 

 at the bottom end, and so on. — Report Select Committee on Herring 

 Brand, p. 253. 



