The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-10-30 00:00:00

Varoct Countq Expren.

DORC!IF.STER, OCCOSER 3001, 1883.

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The time will soon arrive for estimating the results
of the Fisheries Ex' thither'. Inc pecunisry sense the
issue is expectud to be encoewfal, • in .oh Larger
number of persons having vi.ited the Exhibition than
the mo,t sao.ruile prom it it believed p reribie. In tied
of being an stir "cam fir one class elone, it he. drawn
together per. ins of all wet ml coo litione, and from
eves, district of the Uoited King loin. Not the
least pleasing fervors in the crowd of visitors,
especially toward. tho end of the season, was the
large proportion of count./ people, whose cop of
enjoyment mat hove been figed to the beim, end
whole c motels-Ice, it ilIN) I ur mhits heately the
atifioation drrive I. There ir, however, another
aspect of the ca... an lit will be int.re.t rig to know
whether the o' lent for which the Exhibition was
designed, n.m4r, iLoproverneut in the sapply of fish
end in the methods of catching them, is likely
to take place. It miy be presumed that
amongst the tw millions who are said
to have v le; tod the Elhbit I .n there have
been • conaidersble number who wore directly
int:Tested in the capture of fi•lo and in
its supply in the in- -ket. To such the 'various
methole eil.' ti in f-reign c .untrue moat have
afforded some woeful I..ssons. But it is one thing
to observe improv rn.res an.l anther t carry them
out. Of inourse, the grand aim the rxhibiticia
was to popula+e fish as food, end to increase the
market supply. Should this result fall to be realised,
the interesting right of the present season will have
been provided in vain. We can hardly believe, how-
ever, that purvey. r if fi.h have failed to learn some
very valuable lessons. They con tell now the differ-
s". between in thod. .bieb might be t•rmed station-
ary,ll not ol iu.hionid, inl thins adopted by cionotriee
In which fishing is a us oral and therefore effectual
vocation. With ell our facilitiee, and with our hoc:ma&
log deman I, we are by no means &heal of roarrain
nations much inferior to no in sin. and ststue. With
Improved methods, which the exhibiVon is likely to
Dingiest and render weal able, we mei hope to see
ash occupy in future e more prominent position ill our
dolly diet. And it is not only the crest outside store
a.m... that agill 0.111 nr,"./101.1 /an 1/1474 of att..
000-110 t only the use, but the river, will be more
cerefoll y looked after. There we. • time when our
streams teemed with salmon and Our WMOZ-001117011
with trout Negligence sad in wine oases the
requiretneots of manufactures eaused • greet decreases
fa quantity, and now, as our readers know, the
pollution of rivers has become • serious Parliemeetery
question, and we are only just awakealn; to the
necessity of restoring the palsy of former thew. If
the evil bad gone on unchecked, many of the fish we
so highly prise would in time have become extinct, like
the dodo. Not the least of the benefit. likely to be
derived from the collection at South Kensington Is
the knowledge that the best of tdib:s fish can with
care end attention be increased to am almost
proper
extent and we shall owe much to our bitumen
the Canadisns for the ingenious methods of artlibrial
loorease so clearly demonstrated in their department
of the Exhibition. That the attention of the nation
hers been directed to the production of fish as food is.
of conies, the one grand source of satisfaction. It has
been shown for what a small sum of enocey • really
substantial meal can be provkled. There le no reeseen
why • sixpenny dinner should not become a national
Institution, and if, as we trust will hapoere, there
should be • surplus in the hands of the Exhibition
Commissioners, they could devote it to no better
=than to the formation of some kind of
mint which shall carry on the movement—
so well begun—that of teaching how fish may be
orZerved and captured so as to bring a nutritious
of diet within the reach of the very poorest
eleseas of the community.

Both. first Cabinet °curial of the season, held last
Friday. and which some people thought was to be
devoted to the consideration of a draft Reform Bill
for next session, we. really occupied in discerning the
peltry c,mpeneatlon of £l,OOO offered by the French ,
0113yernment to Mr. Shaw, end the probably jolt a•
hisdequat • apology tendered t the Britbill Govern.
mast. With lAberel put clans busily stimulating
the people I. expict great things in the way of legisla-
tion next amnion and with fl.ns Pt reties critics point.
lag out Ito short.oomino of the revt there I. a visibbe
linpetiene• at this consumption of valuable public time
over a questi.m which it seems Imp ,esible I, relieve from
pettiness. The public went to mse the Government
dienssing the same oneetion which occupies' attention
out of doom—namely, the legislative arrsokemente for
Dent wagon.

The decision of the Liberal delegates at Leeds to
press for • Franchise Reform Bill before a London
Municipal Reform Bill has roused the somewhat
sleepy zeal of London Liberals in favour of the Home
Secretary's msaeure, nnkn awn though Its oontenta
still remain. The Dady Telegraples article, '' Why
should London wait" ha, done som, this; to stir up
bietropolit in resistance to the dictation of the
caucuses, and an active agitation may perhaq follow.
But the que.tion of Municipal Reform is beaming
mixed up with the question of providing decent
dwellings for the poor. The Levu and the Telsgrrapt
alike argue as though without an elective and central-
ised system of M.tropolitan cloveiroment there were
no hope, and with them fell certainty, of banishing
rookeries and destroying slums. But there are slums
enough, Hesven knows, in Manchester and Binning.
• notwithstanding reformed municipalities. Lord
Salisbury, ma .rding to his much-quoted article In the
Natsonal Eerier, has no belief in confidint the improve-
ment of artisans' dwellings to Municipalities, and he
give. goo I reas es for his dietrnst. He suggests public
kap.. But piblic loans would be requited for every
large town in Ragland in order to meat the evil. If
the condition of the dwellings of the poor is so bad as
Leta Selisbary and Mr. Bright, who epee in no few
points, alike consider that it is, surely it is time for
both parties to unite to force the Guilds and similar
bodies to disgorge their vast and imieepplied wealth
In order in afford the decencies of life to the tolling
thousands.