246 THE SEA FISHERIES 



Board for Scotland of funds for local scientific research ; the 

 continuance of international co-operation in scientific and statistical 

 investigations upon a definite and permanent basis ; and finally 

 the continuance of the annual grant of £i,ooo to the Marine Biological 

 Association of the United Kingdom. The main difference between 

 the position in 1908 and 1902 was that the Government were 

 expending about £13,000 annually on the international investi- 

 gations. 



One finds in the Civil Service estimates for 1907-8, under the 

 heading of " North Sea Fisheries Investigation," the sum of £12,500, 

 being the sixth instalment on account of expenditure in connection 

 with the international scheme for investigating problems concerning 

 the fisheries of the North Sea and adjacent waters. In Scotland the 

 agent of the Government for the purpose of these investigations 

 was the Fishery Board, and in England the Marine Biological 

 Association, to each of whom the sum of £5,500 was payable 

 annually. A sum of £1,250 was also paid annually as a con- 

 tribution to the Central Bureau, which had been established at 

 Copenhagen. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, the central authority 

 in England and Wales, was ignored in the allocation of these grants. 

 This led to considerable friction between the Board and the Asso- 

 ciation, as will be seen from a study of the evidence given before the 

 Committee of 1908. There can be no reasonable doubt that the 

 Marine Biological Association carried on their work under great 

 difficulties. 



Sir E. Ray Lankester complained in 1906 that " no kind of 

 assistance or even good-will had ever been received by the Marine 

 Biological Association from the paid officials connected with fishery 

 matters in this country." After much washing of dirty linen in 

 public the Board ultimately gained the victory, and in 1910 they 

 took over England's share of the interoational investigations. 



In 1909 the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act 

 was passed. According to the provisions of this Act the sum of 

 £500,000 was to be allocated annually for five years for certain 

 purposes, amongst which was the " development and improvement 

 of the fisheries." Applications for funds for this purpose were to 

 be made to the Treasury, who would refer the matter to the Develop- 

 ment Commissioners for report. The first annual report of the 

 Development Commissioners (July, 1911) contains a solitary 

 reference to fishery applications : " In respect to the development 

 and improvement of fisheries proper, the Commissioners have 

 received no applications. They learned some time ago that not 

 inconsiderable appUcations for advances for such purposes had been 



