FUTURE SALMON LEGISLATION. 201 



having in many cases been brought about akeady, through 

 the application of much smaller means than are at the 

 command of the Crown. Some of the fisheries on the 

 the Moray Firth, at which fixtures were earliest used, 

 have been brought to worthlessness by the increase in 

 the number of their neighbours ; and after the first 

 stake-net erected on the coast of Aberdeenshire had 

 raised the rental of that fishery from a mere trifle to 

 £300, the erection of similar nets in the same district 

 had the almost immediate effect of bringing back the 

 rent of the first offender to a trifle again. With such 

 examples before them, it is reasonable to hope that the 

 fixed-net fishers might concede to fear what they have 

 not unnaturally refused to fair-play, or at least that so 

 many of them might thus become reasonable on compul- 

 sion that the passing of an Act satisfactorily settling the 

 whole matter would become easy and certain. At all 

 events, it is only fair and well worth while to try, 

 especially as even failure would be gain, by allotting the 

 necessarily temporary profits of the bad system to the 

 public instead of to individuals, while at present there is 

 a class of men virtually paid with public money to injure 

 the public interests. 



Scarcely less important than the suppression of fix- 

 tures used for capture and obstruction — in a large view, 

 even more important and more urgent — is the question 

 of legislation for the prevention and cure of pollution 

 and poisoning in all running waters. The question here 

 is not merely whether we shall preserve our fish, but 

 whether we shall preserve our rivers; — whether our rivers 



