6*4 Appendices to Thirty-seventh Annual Report 



With the exception of a few stranger boats which called at the port 

 occasionally, the summer fleet consisted principally of sailing craft belong- 

 ing to the district. An extra good season was experienced, the returns 

 from April to September showing increases in catch and value of 4307 

 crans and £34,946. The most successful sail boat earned £1188, while 

 the average earnings were about £700. 



Two local drifters earned for the whole year fully £9000 each. The 

 motor boats were working irregularly in some cases owing to engine defects. 

 Others were sold outside the district after working part of the year, and 

 new engines were installed in some old craft towards the close of the 

 summer fishing proper. At the same time they did exceedingly well. 



Most of the catch was kippered. Comparatively few barrels were 

 cured gutted, while freshing was out of the question owing to the perish- 

 able nature of the herrings, the season of the year, and the distance from 

 the consuming centres. The gutted herrings were disposed of in Glasgow, 

 London, and America. 



Although there was never an entire lack of packages these necessaries 

 were sometimes scarce, and all sorts of receptacles, such as biscuit and 

 flour barrels, were requisitioned. Sawdust and chips for smoking purposes, 

 too, were often difficult to obtain, but the kipperers, by borrowing and 

 lending one to another as circumstances permitted, kept operations going 

 fairly well, few of the firms having any idle time through lack of supplies. 



About the middle of August the local coopers applied for a rise of 10s. 

 per week in wages. The employers refused to concede the demand. But 

 after the men had been a week or so on strike a proposal was made to 

 them that if they went back to work the increase asked for would be 

 granted them as from the start of the winter fishing. On these terms the 

 men went back to work, and they now have the same wages as the East 

 Coast coopers, namely 65s. per week. There is only one apprentice 

 cooper in Stornoway, most of the others being journeymen of mature 

 age. Barrel-making was almost non-existent, the men being engaged 

 about the kipper houses, on the quays dealing with " fresh," and repairing 

 returned empties, most of which arrived back — when they came back at 

 all — in a dilapidated condition. It was found cheaper and more con- 

 venient to purchase packages from the barrel factories on the East Coast 

 than to import wood and make them here. 



Never in the history of the district fisheries has so much money been 

 turned over. Fishermen were very successful, while freshers and kipperers 

 reaped a rich harvest, as prices for fresh herring seldom touched the 

 control price— indeed they were very often not much more than half that 

 amount-— whereas the returns from the English and other markets were 

 almost invariably maximum prices. Expenses in connection with each 

 branch of the industry were certainly heavy, but the margin of profit left 

 to the operators was highly satisfactory. 



Wharfage for the delivery of fish from the fleet, and for shipment by 

 the carriers, was cramped owing to so much quay space being occupied 

 by Admiralty vessels. More accommodation, however, is expected to be 

 available for year 1919, as the number of naval craft is gradually getting 

 less. The lack of proper repair shops was greatly felt, facilities for dealing 

 with minor defects only being available at the port, and not enough of 

 these. But in the near future this drawback is likely to be remedied, as 

 will be seen farther on. 



Lord Leverhulme, who recently purchased the Lews, has several 

 schemes on the tapis for the amelioration of the economic position of its 

 people. Amongst these are the manufacture of guano and other products 

 from fish offal. He has already purchased the Fraserburgh Guano Coy.'s 

 premises here. A fish canning establishment is to be set up, and a 



