of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



31 



ashes and dust and the condition of the fish deteriorated 

 considerably, especially in hot weather.. 



(b) The provision of refrigerator vans for certain classes of fish 



traffic. 



(c) A shortage of trucks, especially at tiroes of unexpected 



landings and on single line systems, where the return of 

 the empty trucks was a difficult matter; the condition of 

 the trucks was also occasionally a cause of complaint. 



(d) The increased number of cases of delay in transit, through 



the overheating of axles necessitating the removal of 

 waggons from the fish trains. 



(e) The heavy railway rates on fish as compared with those of 



pre-war days. 

 (/) The late return of traders' empty fish boxes. 

 (g) The granting of special travelling concessions to fishworkers 



proceeding to and from the curing centres. 



For a considerable time the Board had for the reasons given 

 above felt the growing need for the addition to their staff of an officer 

 whose whole time would be devoted to questions of transport and 

 distribution of fish ; and in March 1920 the Treasury approved of 

 the Board's proposal that an Inspector of Fish Distribution should 

 be appointed. Commander L. D. Fisher, D.S.O., E.N. (retd.), was 

 duly selected for the appointment, and since entering on his duties 

 he has investigated all complaints or suggestions with regard to 

 transport or distribution which have been received by the Board or 

 have come to their notice. The railway authorities have been found 

 at all times most willing and ready to assist him wherever possible 

 in removing difficulties and improving the transport facilities, and 

 as the result of the special attention given to the matter the 

 transport arrangements have been greatly improved. 



The Inspector attended, on behalf of the Board, a conference held 

 at the Ministry of Food on the loth June 1920, when representatives 

 of the Government Departments concerned met representatives of 

 the fishing industry and of the railway companies in order to discuss 

 the question of fish transport generally and the possibilities of improve- 

 ment. A Committee was appointed, representative of the Conference, 

 to go thoroughly into these matters and to report thereon. 

 Commander Fisher represented the Board on this Committee, which 

 held four meetings at the Ministry of Food during the summer and 

 autumn, and considered all general complaints and suggestions 

 brought forward as affecting the whole or large sections of the trade. 

 It was arranged that matters relating to the more remote districts, 

 eg. Scotland, should have first attention, and the representatives of 

 the Government Departments and of the trade presented statements, 

 which were then considered by the railway companies and were met 

 wherever possible. Mr. K. Milne of Aberdeen ably represented the 

 Scottish Fish Trade on this Committee, and his experience and sound 

 judgment proved of value throughout the proceedings. The most 

 important function of the Committee was the consideration of 

 complaints relating to the train services provided for the carriage of 

 fish, and ifc was in this direction that it was able to achieve the 

 most satisfactory results. After their fourth meeting, on the 5th 



