xliv 



Part I. — Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



Persons The number of persons engaged in these subsidiary branches of 



Employed. industry was 42,422, an increase over the preceding year of 



924. These were composed of 668 curers, 17,157 gutters 

 and packers, 2556 coopers, 3994 carters and labourers, 718 clerks, 

 8867 British and 4562 foreign seamen employed in exporting, &c, 

 cured fish, and 2314 British and 1586 foreign seamen engaged in 

 importing material for making barrels and salt for curing. (Appen- 

 dix F, pp. 190-191.) 



A very gratifying feature of the Appendix is the marked substi- 

 Saiiors tution of British for foreign sailors in the carrying trade connected 

 Employed. with the curing industry, there being an increase of 1401 in the 

 number of British seamen so employed over the return for 1905, 

 and a net decrease of 745 in the number of foreign seamen. 

 Curing on A serious decline is shown in the number of vessels fitted out 

 Board Vessels. f or curm g herrings at sea as compared with the preceding year, the 

 figures being 23 and 41 respectively. Shetland alone contributes 

 12 to the total decrease, and Loch Broom and Loch Oarron districts 

 each show a decline of five vessels. A proportionately large decrease 

 is shown in the quantity of herrings cured in this manner as well 

 as in the number of men employed, the decreases being 74,493 

 barrels and 214 men respectively. 



The high prices prevailing at Lerwick had the effect of reducing 

 the number of Norwegian vessels curing there, and also of curtailing 

 the quantity cured by those which did arrive, fewer herrings being 

 bought by them than usual, while they also left for home compara- 

 tively early in the season. 



The complete failure of the loch fishings in the autumn and early 

 winter is responsible for the great falling-off in the cases of Loch 

 Broom and Loch Carron districts. 



The rapid development of the industry generally is traced in 

 Appendix D, No. II. (pp. 172-175), the quantity of herrings cured 

 during the last 96 years being there shown. 

 Value of Cured Notwithstanding the decrease in the quantity of herrings cured 

 Hemngs. j agt year, the estimated amount realised was nearly £316,000 

 greater than in the preceding year, which was a record year in this 

 respect. The total reached £2,545,342, and this was made up of 

 £493,622 for branded herrings (£14,517 more than in 1905) and 

 £2,051,720 for unbranded herrings (£301,411 more than in 1905). 



The East Coast was responsible for the whole of this improve- 

 ment, Shetland and the West Coast districts both showing decreases. 

 The keen demand on the Continent during the early part of the 

 summer was accountable for this remarkable improvement in value, 

 and while the curers shared in the improved conditions they did 

 not in the end emerge from their transactions so favourably as the 

 fishermen. 



From the following Table it will be seen that the value of cured 

 herrings since 1895, when returns relating to this aspect of the 

 industry were first published, is subject to important fluctuations : — 



