The broad result of the London Fish Inquiry is that
37,258 tons of fish arrive in a year by water, and for that supply Billingsgate is an excellent market. The railways, however, bring 87,884 tons of fish annually, and could bring twice as much ; and for that supply Billingsgate is a bad centre, being too small, and with accesses so choked that neither delivering vans nor customers' carts can get through without ruinous loss of time. It is believed that Billingsgate, in one way and another, doubles the cost of fish, and reduces the supply one-half. The sensible plan would be to keep Billingsgate for the water-borne fish, and find a central inland market for the rail-borne import ; but the Corporation cannot make up their minds to the change. They are afraid, we presume, of losing their market revenue, and after much debate, their obvious resolve is to enlarge Billings- gate and clear new roads to it, and search for a second site by the river, which they will not get. The easiest plan, if the Corporation persist in this project, is to leave Billingsgate alone, and invest the Metropolitan Board with the power of opening markets at pleasure outside the City limits. The supplied will soon flow of themselves to the convenient centres.
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