Thirty -ninth Annual Report 



of cure, and not at the end of the season, of cured herring3 which met 

 the conditions laid down, and that minimum prices per cran were 

 fixed for all fresh herrings purchased for curing purposes by curers 

 coming under the scheme. Curers were thus enabled to obtain the 

 money necessary for carrying on operations, whereas under the 

 previous scheme their capital rapidly became tied up in stocks for 

 which there was no immediate sale, while the interests of the 

 fishermen were better secured than in the previous year. As 

 necessary corollaries to the fixing of minimum prices, powers were 

 reserved on the one hand to ration out landings to curers com- 

 pulsorily if required, and on the other to regulate or suspend the 

 operations of the fishing fleets, in order to prevent the landing of 

 inferior herrings or of quantities in excess of what could be properly 

 dealt with. 



The Scottish and Northumbrian section of the scheme was 

 administered by the Board, and herrings offered to them were 

 required to be of sound cure of the following selections : — 



Fulls (including Large Fulls), 



Mat. Fulls, 



Matties, 



Spents (including Large Spents), and 

 Tornbellies. 



The minimum price fixed for fresh herrings purchased under the 

 scheme was 45s. per cran, or 40s. per cran for herrings which, 

 because of heavy supplies, required to be roused. The purchase 

 prices for the cured fish taken over were fixed on a .flat rate basis, 

 namely 62s. 6d. per barrel or 67s. 6d. per two half barrels f.o.b. 

 or f.o.r. 



An Executive Committee was formed at Aberdeen and Local 

 Committees were set up at all ports or districts where the industry 

 was carried on to assist the Board in administering the scheme. 

 The Board desire to record their appreciation of the valuable assist- 

 ance rendered by those members of the trade who placed their 

 services at the disposal of the Committees. 



When the announcement was made on the 24th June that the 

 Government had decided to sanction a modified Guarantee scheme, 

 curers, boats and men were ready to commence operations, and a 

 general start was made all round the Scottish coasts on the night of 

 24th to 25th June by one of the finest herring fleets that had ever 

 been fitted out for the fishery. For the first week or two the landings 

 were heavy, and it appeared probable that with the aid of the 

 Guarantee a successful season would be experienced, while the 

 general feeling was that the delay in commencing fishing operations 

 would be to the benefit of all concerned. Recourse had to be made 

 to rousing at some centres, especially at Wick and Stronsay, Orkney, 

 but the fishing soon fell off, and any difficulty in handling the 

 catches quickly disappeared. On the other hand competition for 

 supplies became keen, and although the quality at this stage was as 

 a rule only fairly good, prices began to rise above the minima laid 

 down in the scheme. It soon became evident that the preparations 

 made and the efforts put forth by fishermen and curers alike were 

 not to be crowned with success. Notwithstanding the much greater 



