xxii 
Eighth Annual Report of the 
or 
otherwise disposed of by any superintendent of the herring 
fishery or other officer employed in the execution of the Herring 
Fishery (Scotland) Acts. 
Illegal-Sized Herring Barrels. 
Large number 
of undersized 
herring barrels 
made. 
Seizure of 
barrels under 
legal size. 
Their con- 
demnation and 
sale for behoof 
of Crown. 
Good Results. 
Expression of 
opinion 
elicited from 
fishcurers 
as to existing 
law regarding 
barrels. 
Board con- 
cluded that 
barrels and 
half-barrels 
should be 
stamped by 
them before 
being used. 
The Board regret to state that, notwithstanding the several 
warnings issued against the use of barrels, with a less capacity than 
the legal standard of 26§ imperial gallons, for packing cured white 
herrings, they had reason to believe that a large number of such 
barrels had been made and were intended to be used duriug last 
year's summer herring fishery. 
In these circumstances the Board were under the necessity of 
issuing instructions to their officers to seize all undersized barrels 
which might be found filled with cured white herrings, and seizures 
were accordingly made at Leith, Stornoway, Castle Bay, and Shet- 
land. These seizures were prosecuted in terms of the Statute, and 
in every case the barrels and herrings were condemned and forfeited, 
and thereafter sold for behoof of the Crown. In one of the cases an 
appeal was made to a higher Court from the decision of the sheriff ; 
but his judgment was confirmed. 
The proceedings of the Board have had a very salutory effect in 
checking the use of undersized barrels. The fishery officers re- 
port that all barrels now being made are of the legal size, and that 
in numerous instances where small barrels were in store they have 
been enlarged to the capacity required by the Act. 
The Board were desirous of getting an expression of opinion from 
the Scottish fish-curing trade on the question of barrels and half- 
barrels for the packing, shipping, or exporting of cured white 
herrings, with the view of ascertaining what changes, if any, should 
be made in the existing law. With that object they prepared a 
list of queries (see Appendix A. No. VII.) which were sent to the 
trade generally, asking that they would be goud enough to make 
replies thereto, and thereafter return the list to the Board. These 
queries were forwarded to 859 persons and firm^, of whom 592 sent 
replies. 
The Board gave very full consideration to the expression of 
opinion thus elicited, and they came to the conclusion that, in 
order to secure to the public a guarantee that the barrels and half- 
barrels were of the statutory size, it should be enacted that cured 
white herrings should only be packed in barrels or half-barrels 
which bore an official stamp of the Board, certifying that they 
were of the legal capacity; and that the Board should charge 
a fee of one halfpenny each for every barrel or half-barrel for this 
service — such payment to be afterwards deducted from the brand fee. 
This conclusion was communicated to your Lordship, and the 
Board trust that it will receive such consideration as the impor- 
tance of the subject merits. 
Hooping of Hekring Barrels. 
Newreguia- Four years have now elapsed since an alteration was made in 
t^hoopnfg of the regulations for hooping white herring barrels, at the request of 
herring barrels. 
