298 BRITISH FISHERIES 



By " small " plaice is to be understood plaice of 

 less than 1 1 inches in total length.^ Further, the 

 pathetic state of matters was revealed that the 

 fried-fish trade of London found it was increasingly 

 difficult to get plaice of a size sufficient to meet 

 the demand, and that they were compelled to use 

 turbot, brill, witches, and even skate and dog-fishes 

 in the fried-fish business ; and that, because of the 

 popular preference for plaice, the trade was com- 

 pelled to sell all fish under that designation.^ 



The Bill introduced was an " enabling " one. 

 It proposed to give the Board power to make 

 Orders prohibiting the landing of fish, of kinds 

 and sizes to be specified, and in such localities as 

 were found necessary. This elasticity was claimed 

 as the great merit of the Bill, for, as investigation 

 revealed the necessity for action. Orders could be 

 made or modified accordingly. The Bill was 

 introduced in the House of Lords by Lord Onslow, 

 the President of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, and passed through the various stages 

 there. Finally, it was made to apply only to 

 steam trawlers and sailing smacks over seventy tons 

 burden. It appears to have met with general 

 approval, but in the end it was rejected in the 

 House of Commons. 



' Rept. Sel. Comm., 1904, pp. vi.-vii. 

 ^ Ibid., p. vi. 



