44 



Thirty-ninth Annual Report 



rates calculated to cover the risks run by the largest class of motor 

 boats, or were not covered at all. 



After exhaustive enquiry as to the exact needs in Scotland, the 

 Board therefore drew up a scheme of State Insurance applicable in 

 the first instance to all motor and sailing boats, on lines similar to 

 that already in operation in England and Wales. The approval of 

 the Treasury to the proposed scheme was obtained, but before arrange- 

 ments were completed certain Scottish companies revised their rules 

 so as to make their most favourable terms applicable to all motor 

 boats up to 50 feet in length of keel, irrespective of value. As these 

 terms were practically as advantageous as could be offered by the 

 Board, the object in view was attained and further action was 

 suspended, but should the necessity arise the scheme will be revived. 



Bye-Products. 



There are in Scotland some 24 factories engaged in the manu- 

 facture of bye-products from fish offal. These are situated at 

 Aberdeen, at the chief herring fishing ports, and in the neighbour- 

 hood of Glasgow and Edinburgh ; the Aberdeen factories treat 

 principally white fish heads, bones, guts, etc., livers and unmarket- 

 able fish obtained from curing establishments, fish merchants, or 

 fishing vessels ; those in the South deal chiefly with waste from the 

 fishmongers' shops or the local fish markets ; and the others deal 

 almost exclusively with herring offal obtained from pickling and 

 kippering establishments. Most of the factories are owned by 

 combinations of curers or other persons engaged in the fishing 

 industry. 



The quantity of raw material dealt with last year was nearly 

 60,000 tons, but owing to the light herring fishing and a consequent 

 shortage in supplies, the factories did not work up to their full 

 capacity. 



The products consisted of approximately 3700 tons of fish meal, 

 all or nearly all made from white fish, 7300 tons of dry manure, and 

 3000 tons, or about 750,000 gallons, of oil, including over 100 tons, 

 or 25,000 gallons, of oil of medicinal quality. Eish glue is also 

 manufactured by at least one firm. The meal is used as a feeding 

 stuff, and is disposed of chiefly in the home market, although a 

 large quantity was exported to America and Japan during the year. 

 These countries also absorbed a large proportion of the manure pro- 

 duced (although, in so far as Japan was concerned, the demand was 

 only temporary, and was said to be due to the failure of the Japanese 

 herring fishing), while large quantities were also disposed of in 

 England. The oil is used in the manufacture of the cheaper grades 

 of soap, in the treatment of leather and in steel manufacture, but 

 during the year prices fell off and stocks were being held in the hope 

 of an improvement. The fall was a result of the general depression 

 which set in, but was accentuated by the realising of stocks by Norway 

 and Japan at whatever prices could be obtained. The prices of the 

 other products also decreased, and the financial results for the year 

 were therefore disappointing, and as a consequence several extension 

 schemes were held up. 



A method of extracting oil, in which benzine is employed as a 



