Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-02

.ue agents mas resulted in bad practice,
70 the serI0os damage of all and vel
nien 70 the ruin Of some of the packers
Al sne beginning of the season Hume
inouoed his canneries 10 offer 80 cent.
TOT nsh, an advance Of Is cents upon thu
price PAID last year, bis purpose beins
70 DOLL the market. He argued, 50 il &
reported, that an advance in the pric<
OF the raw fish would indicate the prob
aoiiity OF short pack, and that the re-
SUIT would be boom" more than
compensatinR for the increased expen-
oiture. The scheme was followed out
out failed. The price Of fish was fixed
al ~ cents, bat there was no correspond
ine advance IN the market. Coleman.
IN nis efforts to hurt Hume, who, il il
unoefstood, lacks resources for war" !"
ie now reported to be bearing the mark
ct. 1t is said that he keeps prices down
by heavy offerings, in the hope that
hume will have to sell, when be will
spring quotations. 1t is even hinted
that he Is buying for his own account
through brokers the very goods which
be sells for his clients at reduced fio-
nre. However much truth there may be
In these reports, the facts are that while
sales were made at xl.23 per dozen ear
iy IN the season. xl.l251 to $l.l5 Is now
all that is offered. -Four hundred thous-
and cases are yet held by packers. and
a. storage, insurance, and interest cost
ten cents per case per month, and as
many are seriously in need of money,
sales must follow even at a sacrifice.
The outlook is not cheering.
There seems but one way to advance
the market, and as that involves a
general risk and cooperation on the
part OF the holders, it Ia not probable
that it will be adopted. II pool of,
say q lot of 10000 cans, could be
formed, and one of the heavy English
firms taken in on specially easy terms,
the market could probably be bulled.
The English firms, as buyers, are bears,
and they largely influence the English
market, and If it could be made to their
interest to push prices instead of pull
them down, a "boom" might result, and
upon it the whole stock might be sold
out. This plan is talked about, but no
effort has been made to organize it.
There Is one other hope which fear
the packers indulge rather ungener-
0usly. II the season in British Columbia
Is failure, as it is expected to be, the
lack of the usual supplies from that
source will cause an advance in prices.
THE FISH SUPPLY.
ID is argued by many, and this sea-
sons great run apparently gives value
to the theory, that there is no danger Of
the river being "fished out" The con-
slant increase of the packs from year to |
year are pointed to as an illustration of |
this. 1t is nos remembered or acknowi- |
edged that the increase in the catch |
from year to year Is not in proportion to |
the increase in gear" in the river. The |
table below shows the number of boats |
employed, and will sufficiently illus |
trate the fact. But even this statement, |
striking as il isy does not expose the |
whole truth. The nets now used are |
double or three times the size of those |
used when the salmon business was |
new, while seining and the trap system |
were not then practiced at all. The |
table also shows other changes which |
eighteen years have made in the bus
iness. VIM. Hume, the pioneer Gamer,
who began operations in 1866, paid his |
fishermen fifteen cents per fish. deliv-
cred at his cannery. Now ninety cents
Ia the ruling price, and 81 was paid by
at least one packer. Hume sold his first |
pack Of 1000 cases at $l6 per case. The
packer now who gets s. per case con-
siders himself fortunate. The cost of
the prsduot at first hands has gene
up and the price of the canned
product steadily down. The elements
Of compensation have been improve
ment and economy in the methods of
cheapening of materials used.
and vast increase in the volume of bus
iness. The table shows the pack of |
each year, the number of boats On
gagged, the price paid fishermen and the |
market value of the product. The |
figures are in "round numbers" for con-
venienoe:
Market Cost