of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



247 



views were upheld by the Town of Ayr, who therefore appeared as objectors 

 to the proposal. A former Burgh Engineer was asked to consider the pro- 

 posal, and took up a position against the views of the acting Engineer. The 

 Town then withdrew their objections as regards the loss of beach-forming 

 material, and only required that the Slaphouse Burn should be included 

 in the scheme. A neighbouring proprietor, unfortunately, now appeared 

 as an objector on the ground that injury would be done to his foreshore, 

 and that nuisance would result if the Slaphouse Burn were not included. 

 Most material difficulties presented themselves in connection with the 

 proposed inclusion of this burn, which I need not enter upon here, but it 

 appeared to the Committee of Propi ietors in charge of the scheme that the 

 objections as regards the burn were being forced in order to defeat their 

 efforts. They, however, agreed to include the Slaphouse Burn in the scheme 

 in spite of the difficulty and, as it appeared to them, unnecessary expense. 

 So far as I am aware, however, the matter has never received official 

 sanction. The Clerk to the District Board, in his last report to me on the 

 subject, says that the position remains practically unaltered since the 

 objections were raised. It further appears that the Committee in charge 

 have been discouraged by the unexpected and persistent opposition to this 

 proposal for the general benefit of the salmon fisheries in the district. 



Garnock. 



In 1899 I inspected and reported upon a weir in this river which, from 

 its construction, was a formidable barrier to the ascent of salmon and sea 

 trout. The weir was, or is, only 4 feet 9 inches high, measuring from the 

 surface level of the pool below, but has a concave down-stream face and a 

 flat apron, a combination which prevents salmon ascending unless when 

 plenty of water covers the obstruction. The river Garnock is also badly 

 polluted, so that fish unable to ascend are affected in another way. 



A correspondence began in July, 1899, with the object of securing a pass 

 in this weir. I approached the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway Co., 

 Lord Eglinton's Factor, and Messrs. Baird, of the Eglinton Iron Works. 

 The weir exists on a part of the river which was cut out artificially when 

 the local railway was made, and the weir itself was erected for the benefit 

 of Messrs. Baird, and in place of one which previously existed. To 

 establish the precise ownership of the structure was matter of some 

 difficulty. Mr. Thomas Orr, the Yice-President of the Garnock Angling 

 Club, wrote to me in April, 1911, urging the necessity of the pass, a,nd 

 afterwards came to see me on the subject. From that time till October of 

 1912 the correspondence continued, when I was informed that Messrs. 

 Baird had agreed to put in a pass. By letter dated 3rd February, 1913, I 

 am informed by the Secretary of the Eglinton Iron Works that a pass has 

 been inserted. I refer specially to the matter because of the extraordinary 

 delays which have occurred in accomplishing this comparatively simple 

 object, and to record the fact that it is at last accomplished. 



Bladnoch. 



Some years ago a District Board was formed to supervise this river, and 

 action was taken against certain mill-owners possessed of obstructions in 

 the little river Tarff, a tributary of the Bladnoch. The action was, in the 

 first instance, successful, but, owing to the discovery of a technical mistake 

 in the formation of the District Fishery Board, the powers of the Board 

 were called in question, and ultimately the statutory machinery for the 

 enforcing of the Salmon Acts broke down rather suddenly. It therefore 

 happens that the requirements of the Acts are not observed. 



Since this date, however, a group of upper proprietors have acquired the 



