SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SEA FISHEEIES BILL. 



51 



4 March 1904.] 



Mr. J. Wrench Towse. 



[Continued. 



Lord Tweedmouth — continued. 



•quicldy ? — It has nothing at all to do with the 

 condition. This seizure is rather made to take 

 the undersized fish off the market at the time 

 that I have made returns for, and is in conse- 

 ■quence of the fish being left on the market as 

 iinsaleable though good. 



921. Would you seize fish that is good then ? 

 — No, we take that. 



922. To prevent its getting bad ? — Yes. All 

 the fish that we take generally is of course un- 

 sound, unfit; but there is other fish during 

 these months which, owing to its small size, is 

 unsaleable, and therefore it cannot be got rid of, 

 and the merchants throw it out in the market 

 and our meters have to take it up, because in an 

 liour or two or within a few hours it would go 

 bad ; but when it is thrown out it is perfectly 

 good, and anybody might take it ? but no one 

 will — it is not of sufficient size to repay them 

 the time and trouble of cooking. 



923. That is my point, you take it to save its 

 going bad, in fact ? — If you put it in that way. 



924. Then do you dispose of that in the same 

 way that you do of your bad fish ? — Yes, it is 

 all thrown away together and destroyed. 



925. Can you roughly say what is the pro- 

 portion of undersized fish that you get there to 

 the amount that is sold and used ; I understood 

 you to say that a considerable quantity was 

 sold and used ? — No, there are no means of 

 arriving at that. We have been endeavouring 

 to get statistics in regard to that, but we have 

 not gone thoroughly into it. In fact, we have 

 not been sufficiently long to give you any good 

 idea. 



926. Still a considerable amount is marketed 

 and used ? — Yes. 1 may say that it depends 

 upon whether there is a full market or a scarce 

 market. 



927. Naturally the worst quality goes last ? — 

 Yes. 



928. If there is a short supply you use up the 

 whole ? — Yes. 



929. You were speaking about the compara- 

 tive catching power of the otter trawl and the 

 beam trawl. Is not the greater catching power 

 of the otter trawl principally shown in its 

 catching round fish ? — I do not know that it is 

 so ; but I am sorry to say I am not sufficiently 

 experienced to give you a decided answer. 



Lord Heneage. 



930. I only wish to ask about three questions. 

 The trade have, as a whole, through the Sea 

 risheries Protection Association, supported every 

 one of the Bills since 1895, have they not ?— 

 Yes. 



931. Unanimously ? — Unanimously. 



932. There has never been any change of 

 opinion amongst them with regard to the ne- 

 cessity of stopping the landing and sale of under- 

 sized fish ? — No, they are of the same opinion 

 to-day as they have been for years past. 



933. In February last they discussed this 

 Bill ?— They did. 



934. And the Executive Committee discussed 

 this Bill, and in principle they agreed to support 

 it ?— Yes. 



935. And to send witnesses before this Com- 

 mittee. You have arranged for witnesses to 



(0.10) 



Lord Heneage — continued. 



(!ome from various ports to give evidence in 

 favour of the Bill ? — Yes. 



936. There were only two doubts expressed : 

 one was on the advisability of differentiating 

 between steam and sailing vessels ? — Yes. 



937. There was a good deal of discussion on 

 that point ? — Yes. 



938. And the other was as to the prohibition 

 of landing only being effectual ? — That was so. 



939. Those two points were the two points 

 on which there was considerable discussion and 

 some difference of opinion ; but with regard to 

 the principle of the Bill as an enablmg Bill 

 giving power to the Department with elasticity, 

 they were in favour of this Bill? — Absolutely in 

 favour of it. As you mentioned, there was consi- 

 derable discussion upon those other two points. 



940. Can you tell me who the witnesses are 

 who are coming for the Board of Trade ? — Mr. 

 Hellyer, Mr. Alward, Mr. Pibel, and Mr. Irvin 

 of Aberdeen. 



Lord Northbourne. 



941. Is Billingsgate the largest fish market 

 in England ? — Yes. 



942. Larger than Grimsby ? — Yes, ini- 

 doubtedly. 



943. You have statutory power to destroy 

 fish which is unfit for human food now, have you 

 not ? — We have. 



94.4. Under what Act of Parliament have you 

 that power ? — The 2nd James I. 



945. Has it not been amended in recent years ? 

 —No. 



946. It has continued from that time to this ? 

 — Yes ; in fact that charter of James I. was a 

 confirmation of previous Charters. We have 

 had power to condemn fish from the time of 

 Edward I. 



947. Do you do that now through the police 

 or through inspectors, or how f— Through in- 

 spectors of our own. 



948. And you pay them ? — Yes. 



949. How many have you ? — Four or 

 five. 



950. Are any of these tmdersized fish unfit for 

 human food ? — In what way do you mean — dele- 

 terious. 



951. No, not quite that, but from an entire 

 absence of flesh and generally ? — -Yes, there is 

 nothing to eat. 



952. They are hardly worth consumption ? — 

 No ; that is so. There is nothing there but bone. 

 By the time you have taken the head and tad 

 off and the bone there is nothing left. 



953. Where do they go to. Where are 

 they sold ? — A good deal is thrown away even 

 when they go to the fishmongers. 



954. Where are they thrown to ? Are they used 

 for manure ? — -There are two contractors^ — there 

 may be more — but there are two principal con- 

 tractors who clear refuse from fishmongers' shops 

 in London, and, no doubt, the same principle exists 

 in other towns as well, and this undersized fish 

 is thrown in the tub and taken away by the 

 contractors to their manure manufactory. 



955. Do you think that to carry out the pro- 

 visions of this Bill it would require a large staff 

 of officers ? — I do not think eventually it will 

 require such a large staff. There are only certain 

 fishing ports, and in those ports, if there are 



G 2 officers 



