8 PREFACE 



by the finny tribe ! The result would be a 

 national disaster. 



What would become of our fishermen and their 

 families, and the thousands interested in the 

 fishing- industry? Lowestoft, Yarmouth, Grimsby, 

 Hull, Aberdeen, Wick, and all fishing centres 

 would be ruined, and the Metropolis would acutely 

 feel the extinction of Billingsgate market. 



Picture the dismantling of countless smacks 

 and trawlers, and the loss of millions sterling 

 represented by the fish annually landed in the 

 United Kingdom ! 



Then, socially speaking, what would the indigent 

 substitute for the bloaters that give a relish to 

 their dry bread ? How could the poorer classes 

 exist without cheap mackerel, hake, conger, and 

 the like, not to mention the savoury fried plaice 

 and skate, and the comforting stewed eels ? 



In fact, fish, once the luxury of the few, has 

 become a staple article of food, and a necessity 

 to the multitude. 



ARTHUR H. BEAVAN. 



