SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. llB 



of acquiring certain scientific data — which may, or may 

 not, have a bearing upon fishery questions — then I, for 

 one, will cordially approve of the enlightened action of 

 our Government in endowing scientific research to that 

 extent. But the British Delegates at the International 

 meetings have made it quite clear that our country took 

 part in the scheme with the expectation of obtaining 

 practical results in the fixed period of years.* How 

 unlikely it is that any such results will be obtained by the 

 methods, in the time, can only be realised by those who 

 have had considerable experience of the irregularity of 

 distribution of fish and other living things in the sea, and 

 the difficulty of obtaining samples that are truly repre- 

 sentative of an extensive area. 



It is obvious that if we are to have the benefit that 

 was promised from international co-operation, any 

 conclusions arrived at should be put forward with the full 

 authority of the International Council, and as the 

 deliberate opinion of the united wisdom of the experts ; 

 but it is evident from the published results that a con- 

 siderable amount of difference of opinion already exists. 

 In both the hydrographical and the biological sections 

 we find the conclusions of some of the investigators 

 rejected by their fellow-workers [see Blue-book, Cd. 3165, 

 p. 6, and paragraph 9 on p. 7 ; also Cd. 2966, p. 47]. As a 

 matter of pure science this is of no great importance, it 

 may be helpful rather than harmful, since it tends to 

 promote research and discovery ; but when it is a question 

 of conclusions that may be applicable to the industries 



* In the Eeport of the Christiania Conference, in 1901, we are told, 

 under the heading "Guarantees of Practical Results," that it was 

 agreed "that the work of summarizing the practical results of the 

 scientific explorations should not be left to the end of the five years' 

 period, but should be undertaken from year to year. Consequently, 

 by now we ought to have the "practical results" of the first four 

 years in our hands. 



