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Appendices to Twenty -fifth Annual Report 



revolution might at any time break out, resolved that transactions with 

 buyers in the interior be conducted on cash lines, with the result 

 that the business, so far as they were concerned, had been a fairly 

 profitable one. 



Of East Coast and early Shetland herrings the quantity in store was 

 estimated at 500 barrels. In visiting the stores I saw a few samples of 

 these, all of which I found in fairly good order. The first arrivals of 

 East Coast herrings were sold at about 10 roubles per barrel, and, 

 as the markets were gradually rising, they had been rapidly dis- 

 posed of. Besides, the importers were afraid to store these early 

 herrings, as, with the experience they had had of strikes and dis- 

 organisation of the railway system during the autumn of 1905, they 

 endeavoured to dispose of them at the earliest opportunity. Although 

 the heat for a few days was excessive, the summer, upon the whole, was 

 a short one, which permitted the despatch of the herrings to the interior 

 without risk or damage. 



Notwithstanding the high duty per barrel, Libau is a great com- 

 petitor with Germany in the herring trade ; but the freights being 

 higher than to the German ports, the merchants and importers have to 

 be content with smaller profits. One of the importers informed me 

 that last year he sold 60,000 barrels, 90 per cent, of which were 

 Scottish herrings. This year, he expects to sell 70,000. Of several 

 thousand barrels in store he has not a barrel of down-branded 

 herrings ; they are too high in price for his trade. Last year he 

 bought 300 barrels of Crown-branded matties which, he said, 

 turned out mostly spents. He also complained of heavy salting; 

 consequently he bought none this year. He would like very much 

 that Scottish curers would adopt the quarter-hooped barrel, viz., four, 

 instead of three, wooden hoops on the quarter, with iron hoops on each 

 end. When the barrel gets old the left end hoops, he says, give way. 

 the pickle is lost, and, as they cannot be repaired at once, the contents 

 depreciate in value, but, with an iron hoop on each end, the barrel 

 invaiiably keeps tight. He also wished to impress upon curers the 

 importance of using good stave wood. I may here mention that three 

 barrels wei-e shown me of early Fraserburgh matties. Two of the 

 barrels were made of very inferior w T ood, with the result that there was 

 not a drop of pickle on the herrings. 



Another importer said that the business in Crown brands is small and 

 does not improve, because they are dear and have too much salt, 

 as against the trade marks, which are done up very well. He imports 

 about 50,000 barrels annually. 



Very few, if any, herrings are consigned — nearly all are purchased by 

 agents in Scotland. The cheaper kinds, viz., mat-fulls, matties, spents, 

 and tornbellies, are those in demand. 



Complaints were made to me of two parcels of Crown-branded matties 

 being of bad quality and heavy salting, but on inspection I found the 

 herrings quite satisfactory and the salting perfection. 



Although Libau supplies many of the Kurland districts, a large busi- 

 ness is done with South Russia. While visiting the stores I met two 

 buyers, one a woman from near Moscow, who wished to purchase 600 

 barrels, the other, a man from Rostow, who wanted 65. In the first 

 case the freight and duty, exclusive of the price of the herrings, was 

 20s. per barrel, and in the latter, 24s. 



For the past two years about 1000 barrels of Iceland-cured herrings 

 have been imported. I understand that a fair businesss could be done 

 in these, but the merchants complain of too much salt, slack filling, and 

 no selection. Besides, the curing and packing is done in the Norwegian 

 fashion, which they do not like. 



