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summer time they could with the sort they get, but they do not get the variety that the trawlers get, such as tarakihi, soles, &c. We should have to shut up the shops. The trawlers even cannot supply the whole place. The small boats never get such big hauls, and if we had had to depend on them for the past four months we should have had to shut up altogether. I have been trawling myself. I have also been on the outside and inside fishing. I cannot see where the crawlers do any harm to the fish. Trawlers do not get groper or barracouta; the small boats principally catch that kind. The trawlers get better variety than the small boats. The Fishermen's Union fixes a price on certain fish, and if that price is not realised it must be returned to Port Chalmers, and then it is dumped overboard, after paying freight. You must return it to the Fishermen's Union, if you belong to it. Three-fifths of the supply belongs to the union. A public market is needed. It would be better for the fishermen, the retail men, and the public. There is an increasing demand for fish. We import fish from the Bluff and Moeraki. Mr. Geokgeson, Fish-merchant, Eattray Street. I have been twenty-four years in the trade in Dunedin, and a fisherman all my life. I have never known anywhere the supply of all fish to fail as it has done this season round the coast of Otago. In the Old Country I have frequently known one or two species of fish to be very scarce during occasional seasons, but here during this season all fish were scarce, the small boats scarcely catching anything Only for the trawlers at work we should have had to shut up shop. I cannot account for this scarcity, as I believe it has been general all over the colony. Ido not think the trawlers are responsible for the scarcity of fish this season. At the same time Ido think that they should be kept a certain distance offshore. I have had no experience in trawling, but I should imagine that in the shallow water they would both disturb the fish and destroy the feed. lam of opinion that legislation that would make it unprofitable for trawlers to work at all should not be enacted. Any system of fishing that will give a better supply of fish should be given a fair trial. I purchase fish from the trawlers as well as from the line-men, and I certainly think that trawling has been a boon to the people of Dunedin this winter, as without it we should have had very little fresh fish. Peter Fabban, Wholesale Fish-dealer. I have been thirty years in the fish trade in Christchurch, and during the whole of that time I have never known fish to be so scarce as they have been during the past winter and spring months. In June, July, and August scarcely any local fish were brought to market. There is no trawling off the coast of Canterbury. I consider trawling would be a great benefit ; at any rate, it has been to the Dunedin people, where the market has been well supplied through the past winter with a good variety of fish. Mr. C. T. Sullivan, Fish-dealer, Christchurch Wholesale Fish-market. I have had experience in the fish trade in different parts of this colony and also in America. I have worked at Port Chalmers for a number of years both as a fisherman and on board the trawlers. The Port Chalmers Union men said years ago that the dumping of refuse from the dredges affected the fish-supply. A three-mile-off-shore limit would certainly injuriously affect the trawling there. Trawling should be given a fair trial before restricting it. There was very little local fish in the Christchurch market all through last winter and spring, the supply required being obtained from Wellington, Napier, and South. Mr. Thomas Knudson, Wholesale Fish-salesman, Christchurch. During the past winter and spring the local fish-supply was tile poorest on record. At my sale-rooms on the 23rd June the record price for fish was reached, one dozen black flounders bringing £1 6s. 9d., and one small ling was sold for 9s. This constituted the supply of local fish on that date. I have never known anything like so bad a season. I think trawling would give a more plentiful and regular supply, as well as a better variety, of fish than can be obtained by the small boats. Mr. Mumpobd, Eetail Fish-dealer, Christchurch. I have had sixteen years' experience in Christchurch as retail fish-dealer. I have never known anything like so bad a season for local fish as during last winter, and even up to the present time the supply of local fish is very poor. I think the sale of Lake Ellesmere trout should be allowed. The large quantity of trout in that lake destroys immense quantities of small flounders. There is a ready sale in Christchurch for any quantity of these trout. Mr. Smith, Eetail Fish-salesman, Christchurch. The fish-supply in Christehurch all through last winter was very poor ; in fact, there was no local fish to speak of. The supply required was imported from Wellington, Napier, Dunedin, and Bluff. There is no trawling done anywhere off the Canterbury coast. It would be a great benefit to fish-dealers and the public generally if we had a number of trawlers, as a more plentiful and regular supply of fish would be obtained, as trawlers can go out and work when the small boats cannot look at it. There is a demand in Christchurch for any quantity of Lake Bllesmere trout if they were allowed to be marketed. Apt'tojcttmtte Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,450 copies), Ml lib. (id.

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