70 



Enforcement 

 of law. 



Supply offish 

 to Birmingham 

 market. 



and the retailer, but not to the wholesaleman unless he broke bulk, or broke 

 open the barrel. This could be met by inserting the word " knowingly." It 

 should be illegal to take, to buy, or to knowingly sell or expose for sale any 

 undersized crabs or illegal fish. It would be necessary, however, to insert a 

 definition of the word " knowingly," and not to exempt the wholesaleman 

 unless he gave information as to the person from whom he received the 

 package. 



The packages sold here do not always come from the fishermen. They are 

 packed sometimes by intermediate packers, who do not necessarily see all they 

 sell. 



There must be some one appointed at the waterside, or the Act would be use- 

 less. Cannot say who this person should be. This official would have to be 

 advised who the persons were who broke the law. 



David Southall (examined by Mr, Walpole). A retail fishmonger in 

 Birmingham. Has heard the evidence. Agrees with the gauges and with the 

 provisions as to berried lobsters and crabs. Thinks the law could only be 

 carried out by the prohibition of the sale of these illegal fish. There is no 

 hardship in making the retailer liable if he boils and exposes for sale an illegal 

 fish. If he found illegal fish he would throw them back on the wholesaleman. 

 The wholesaleman would suffer, because the fishermen would send to some 

 other salesman, the competition among the salesmen being to get the fish. 

 This would work itself round in time. The salesmen would refuse to receive 

 the undersized fish, and the fishermen would cease to send them. If it were 

 made illegal to sell illegal fish, the retailers would return the fish to the sales- 

 men, the salesmen to the fishermen, and the sale would be checked. The 

 coastguard might assist in carrying out the law, but reliance must mainly be 

 placed on the law of sale. Where no coastguard exist, some other persons 

 might be empowered to act in their place. One barrel of good crabs is worth 

 three barrels of bad crabs. 



William Hanman (recalled). Puts in following statement of average daily 

 supply of fish to Birmingham market : — 



2,000 boxes of mackerel, 2 cwt. each. 

 2,000 barrels of fresh herrings, }\ cwt. each. 

 400 boxes of salmon, 2\ cwt. each. 

 50 to 60 barrels of crabs, 1 cwt. to \\ cwt. each. 

 20 barrels and baskets of lobsters, 1 cwt. each. 

 1,500 packages of plaice, 2 cwt. each. 

 200 packages of cod, 2 cwt. each. 

 20 packages of conger eels, 2 cwt. each. 

 10 to 20 packages of skate, 2 cwt. each. 

 The total supply of all kinds of fish in the Birmingham market varies from 

 50 to 200 tons per day. 



