1 



Fourth Annual Report of the 



prosecuted, except under very unfavourable circumstances. It may 

 be added that, besides being imprisoned, Mr Berger has in con- 

 Conse(iuences sequence of these proceedings lost his business and been made 

 a bankrupt. 



to Defender. 



Seizure of 

 Uudersized 

 Half Barrels of 

 cured Herrings 

 at Barra. 



Condemnation 

 and forfeiture 

 thereoT. 



Illegal Barrels 

 of Herrings 

 detained at 

 Peterhead. 



Keleased on 

 certain con- 

 ditions being 

 complied with. 



Instructions 

 to Board's 

 Officers. 



Legal size of 

 Barrels and 

 Half-liarrels. 



Trade petition 

 Board that 

 Herring 

 Barrels may 

 he hooped 

 with either 

 Wooden or 

 Iron Hoops. 



Reasons urged 

 for change. 



Illegal Sized Herring Barrels. 



Notwithstanding the prosecutions instituted by the Board's 

 officers, as narrated in former Reports, for illegal sized barrels 

 having been used for the packing of cured herrings, and the warn- 

 ing given to coopers and fishcurers on the subject, the Board have 

 to report the seizure last year of 60 half barrels of cured herrings 

 belonging to Messrs James Lowden & Co., Fraserburgh, which 

 were under the legal size. This is the same firm against whom the 

 Board took proceedings during the preceding year, for using whole 

 barrels which were less than the statutory size. The seizure last 

 year was made at Castle Bay in the Island of Barra, by the Board's 

 officer there, and after trial before the Sheriff at Lochmaddy, at 

 which no defence was made oq the part of Messrs Lowden, the 

 barrels and herrings contained therein were condemned and forfeited. 

 The Board were also under the necessity of ordering the detention 

 of a number of barrels of herrings, belonging to a fishcurer at Port- 

 soy, which were found at Peterhead under the legal size. It 

 appeared, however, upon investigating this case, that the illegality 

 had arisen from inadvertence on the part of the curer and not from 

 any intention to defraud ; and as he expressed regret for what had 

 occurred, the Board resolved, under their statutory powers, to release 

 the barrels on condition that a small fine was paid by the party, 

 and that he enlarged them to the standard size, or, if this could not 

 be done, repacked the herrings into proper sized barrels. These 

 conditions having been complied with, the matter was settled 

 accordingly. With the view of preventing a recurrence of similar 

 illegal proceedings, the Board issued instructions to their officers to 

 make known to the curers in their respective districts the result of 

 the prosecution above mentioned, and to urge upon them the 

 necessity of seeing that all herring barrels and half-barrels made 

 by their workmen were of the full size, namely : that every barrel 

 shall be capable of containing twenty-six gallons and two-third 

 parts of a gallon imperial measure, being equal to thirty-two gallons 

 English wine measure, and that the capacity of every half-barrel 

 shall be one half of a whole barrel. The Board desire to add that 

 they hope to be spared the painful duty of instituting like pro- 

 ceedings again. 



Hooping of Herring Barrels. 



The Board, during the course of last year, received petitions from 

 the Herring Trade at some of the principal fishing stations in Scot- 

 land, regarding the hooping of herring barrels. Under the regula- 

 tions then in force, it was not lawful to hoop barrels, for the packing, 

 shipping, or exporting of cured white herrings, with any but wooden 

 hoops, and the prayer of the petitioners was that an additional 

 regulation be passed, making it optional to hoop such barrels either 

 with wooden or iron hoops. The re^isons urged by the petitioners 



