DOMINION FISH SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3034, 22 March 1917, Page 4

DOMINION FISH SUPPLY

. MR. RUSSELL'S PROPOSALS. Tho matter of securing cheap fish* not only for tho peoplo of the cities* but for those of the inland country districts of tho Dominion, is at present engaging tho attention of tho Minister of Internal Afiairs and ActingMinister of Marino (the Hon. G. « • liussell). Speaking on the subject in Aliokland, the Minister is reported to : have said that Professor Pnnee, of Canada, who visited New Zealand in. 1915 to report upon tho fisheries, lia«l, so far, only furnished a preliminary report. A cablegram had been dispatch-, cd asking the professor to complete msreport, and forward it in time for presentation to Parliament m tlio session commencing early m June next.In tho meantime, inquiries were being mado as to The possibility of obtaining food-supplies from tho sea to counteract and check the high prices of other food by the provision of cheaper fish diet. . ~ Mr. Russoll said he had been grca.tlr interested in the successful experiment initiated by. tho 'Auckland City Council, both as regard its trawlers and its. methods of "distributing fish. He was satisfied that good work was beuig dono by tho council m this chrwbonTlio same success had not been attain cd in other parts of Now Zealand, yet if was known that along o.ir entire coasts there were magnificent fishinggrounds. The problem to be solved was larcelr one of/transportation. U< .Reared to him that tho object should Ijo to distribute tho fisli throiighout the country districts. . Olio difficulty would'be tho obtaining of insulated carriages on tlio railwajs, and a irenter difficulty still would ho that of securing sufficient supplies to fill thornMr Russell said be was endeavouring to work out a. schcmofor tho packing of fish for transport m boxes on ice, BS in tho caso of butter He was liavi„nr a, report prepared by the Marino Department, which ho cxpcctcd to reccivo shortly- . . Tlio Minister sma no also mid jn vietf the matter of instructing the public in methods of cooking fisli, in which connection ho proposed to haro pamphlets prepared. Professor Prince m his preliminary report mentioned metnoas of preparing all classes of fish for diet, including sorts which were not hitherto considered palatable bv'fastidious people. In Mr. Russell's opinion the whole question of dealing with tho fishwealth of New Zealand was most important.