G. M. THOMSON.]

87

1.—12.

If you take the cost here of delivered clean fish at lfd. and the cost of transport to the Home market at lfd., you can land it in London at 3|d. per pound, which leaves a big margin of profit. Even filleted you could send it Home at 4d. per pound. Then, there is almost nothing done at present in regard to the by-products, especially the manure. The Dominion pays a large amount of money for phosphatic manures—about £400,000 a year —but a good deal of phosphatic and nitrogenous manure can be got from fish. On an average, it takes seven tons of fish-scrap to make a ton of manure. People must remember, however, that the question of carriage is an important matter. The next point is this :As the men in the industry have no capital, I recommend that the Government should advance to fishermen something on the lines of advances to •settlers, and make them substantial advances on their boats and gear. A man who gets such an advance should be required to join the R.N.R., and the interest on the money could be taken in the form of drill, for which you would get a certain amount of payment. I make this suggestion because the fishermen at Home have played a marvellous part in connection with the Navy. In that way we would be building up a Naval Reserve for the days when we shall have a Navy of our own. Private enterprise having failed to develop the fishing industry, I want the Government to take the matter up and partly nationalize it. The Government might enter into it on proper lines and work it up gradually. I warn the Committee against the State buying trawlers. In New South Wales there has been a loss on the Government trawlers. You will get plenty of fish, from private enterprise if the fisherman knows that all his catch will be bought. In regard to research, I am going to ask the Research Committee for £200 to get a research student appointed at the hatchery, especially in connection with the food of fishes. Research students are not to be picked up every day. They require special training, and there are very few available. The most suitable, of course, arc the professors, and you can only get their services by giving them assistance to relieve them of some of their tutorial work. To the Chairman.] I believe the report of Professor Prince has not come to hand. I do nol think you will ever get it. The gist of the whole thing is contained in his preliminary report, and anything he would add would be practically in the nature of padding. I am satisfied there is no need for a municipality or the Government to buy a trawler. You can get the fish if the fishermen can get them sold, fdo not think the Government trawlers would catch the fish as well as the private trawlers. To Mr. Veitch.] The boats at present in use cannot go outside to any distance, though they are all right for the local market. A larger type of fishing-vessel is necessary. Some of the trawlers at Home run to 150 tons. Here the biggest boat is 50 or 70 tons, I think. A large number of boats suitable for our purpose must be available at the present time. To Mr. Luke.] I believe that Professor Prince's report condemns the State trawlers. The successful fishing in the United Kingdom is done on the share system —those in the industry are interested in the boats. There is a difficulty in getting State employees to go to sea under rough conditions, when other people might be more venturesome. I am not suggesting, however, that the State should catch the fish. It might, happen, of course, that the fish would land at Home when the market was congested, and our fish would be at a disadvantage as to the price obtained. I have seen the market glutted at Home, but it is like, any other commercial risk, and you would take your chance of that. I think the solution of the fishing industry is largely by making advances to groups of men for the purpose of engaging in fishing. The cause of our not getting a, good supply of fish is that the men will not go far from the, coast with the boats they have. The men would go out oftcner and bring in more fish if they knew they could sell them. At present, when they get them, they limit their catch. The union will not allow them to bring in any more than thirty-six groper. The object is to keep the price up. To Mr. Forbes.] I think that Professor Prince's report is a valuable one and a good guide. It contains a great deal of information that he got from the Marine Department, from myself, and others. It is a good basis for the Government to go on. To Mr. Graigie.] As to the suggestion that the Government should bring out a model trawler and have a thorough survey made of the whole coast of New Zealand for fishing-beds, I do not think that is absolutely necessary just now. It would be very desirable, but Ido not think it is of the first importance to-day. To Mr. Hudson.] I think that a great many of the boats are worked on the share system now, but the boats here are not so big as those in the Old Country. To the Chairman.] Government control of the oyster-bods seems to have been successful; but I have only the information on that subject which the members of the Committee have. A. Morris, Dubbin-manufacturer, examined. My object in appearing before the Committee is to try and get additional protection against the importation of dubbin and leather-preservatives. The effect of the existing protection is minimized by the, exporting firms abroad shipping the goods in bulk. 1 think the protection at present is 20 per cent. I may state that the Government has taken considerable quantities of the article which we produce, and I have a letter from, the Government showing that the article has given every satisfaction. T started this business seventeen years ago. We_ are at present employing three men in the business. Professor Malcolm, Otago University, examined. I have been asked to appear before the Committee by the Chancellor of the Otago University, who, having to leave here to attend a meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand University at Christchurch, was not sure that he would himself be able to attend the sitting of the Committee