14 Appendices to Thirty -seventh Annual Report 



character of the fishing vessel employed has undergone rapid change. 

 In former times fishermen relied entirely on the sail boat for their 

 living, but now no really enterprising fisherman is content with any- 

 thing short of steam or motor power, with the result that owing to 

 the greater size and tonnage of the vessels the deepening and enlarge- 

 ment of fishery harbours has become essential to enable them to cope 

 with the altered conditions. Within the last few years progress in this 

 direction has been made, but much remains to be accomplished if the 

 fisheries are to be properly developed. The modern harbour should 

 provide a safe and comparatively quiet berth for each steam fishing 

 vessel, motor boat, and sail boat, with sufficient depth to keep them 

 always afloat, and with ample facilities for repair and overhaul, while 

 accesstothe harbour should be safe and convenient, at least in moderate 

 weather, and proper facilities must be provided for landing and for 

 handling the catch of fish. 



In no instance have these requisites been fully ensured, most of the 

 existing harbours being inadequate to satisfy the new and rapidly 

 increasing demands. Much has been done in the past to improve 

 these harbours by the Board, and the Development Commissioners 

 — in conjunction with the Board — are at the present time assisting to 

 carry out improvements at a number of places, but the importance 

 of the subj ect demands even broader and more sympathetic treatment 

 than it has yet received, if the fisheries are not to continue to suffer 

 under serious disabilities. 



The fishery harbour authorities in Scotland are constituted either 

 under procedure laid down by the Harbour Department of the Board 

 of Trade or by Provisional Order obtained through the Secretary for 

 Scotland, the expense consisting chiefly of a fixed scale of fees and 

 charges by parliamentary agents. 



What often deters a small fishing community from improving the 

 local harbour is the relatively costly procedure that has at present 

 to be followed before powers can be obtained by Provisional Order 

 to meet the expenditure. 



The chief intention of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scot- 

 land) Act, 1899, was to simplify procedure and reduce the cost of the 

 application to Parliament for obtaining parliamentary powers in 

 matters relating to Scotland for the purposes specified in the Act, 

 which, in former times, had to be promoted as Private Bills. The 

 chief direction in which procedure has been modified lies in the pro- 

 vision that has been made for the examination of Orders in Scotland 

 and the holding of inquiries at convenient places in the case of Orders 

 that are opposed. 



It cannot be denied, however, that the procedure is still cumbrous 

 and costly, and the incidence of fees and legal expenses bears heavily 

 on the promoters of Provisional Orders when the estimate of ex- 

 penditure under the Order is relatively of small amount, whereas the 

 charges are relatively light when the estimate of expenditure is large. 

 A graduated scale of fees on a much lower commencing charge rising 

 in proportion to the estimate of expenditure would afford relief to 

 small communities who are not in a position to meet the existing 

 charges without incurring a serious burden. In this connection 

 reference may be made to a report on the procedure in obtaining 

 Provisional Orders generally which has been issued by the Acquisition 



