Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-21
TINE sALxox SEASON OF Isss.
An rnsatisiactsry Year for lhe Can.
uerfes.

An Unsatisfactory Year for the Can
nerfes.
But thirteen days of the present fish
ing season remain, and there il not III,
rernotest probability that in the mins
OF any one of the 3s Gamers ther,
exists any desire to fish beyond the linai
prescribed. Indeed, il is a question
what the inducement is to can now, ex
cept it be the sudden influx and corre
spondingly low price. Many of she can
neries contemplate closing. and il woult
seem as though nothing but the force oi
habit kept them running this week. II
"A probable that the close Of the present
week will see the end of the season az
far as canning is concerned
The present season has been most
singular in every res spect. Starting with
an unprecedented amount of gear, with
a most unfavorable market, an inability
to effect satisfactory sales, and a gen
eral belief in a short catch, the can
neries have thr Jughout been in a mos.
unsatisfactory position. The price OF
fish was set at the start at figure con-
siderably in advance Of the price paid
last season. This had the effect of
bringing gp sufficient fishermen from
the Sacramento 10 catch during May
and June all that came into the river.
During these months an attempt was
made more than once to lower the price,
those who. had their all in the business
being unable to see how the high price
of the raw material and the high price
of the marketable article left any mar
Gin for profit. From Is cents to 81 was
paid for fish, and all that has been
packed mp to recently cost, on an av-
eraQe, 80 cents fish.
Up to June 18th it was believed by
many that the pack would not exceed
400, 600 cases; probably it would be Just
as well, taking everything into cOnsid-
Grafton, had events made good the pro-
phecy. But the increased number of
canneries and the extraordinary dill
gencc manifested in catching the fish
ran the figures up rapidly, so that on
the first of this month, there was $40, :
500 cases reckoned As being put up; the
pack for the season of 80. to same date
being reckoned at 1892. From the
way the salmon have been coming in
since the 1st inst, more especially dur
ing the last week, il is evident that the
pack will be fully up to last season S
figures; should the canneries all run to
their full capacity to the lst of August,
this seasons pack will exceed that of 's2.
Ii is not their intention. The general
idea seems to be to fill all the cans on
hand, or at least to use up all the tin
plate in stock. Several of the Gamers
have refused fish this week, except to a
certain limit. Others, who are short of
cans, take a specified number, aud when
they are disposed of spend the remain-
der of the day in making cans.
The extraordinary run of this month
has not been equaled in size and num-
bers sine 1879. II has been no uncom-
mon thing for fishermen To bring in a
hundred tn the boat, and of course the
price ut once fell. Since Monday, fish
have been selling at figures far below
what would have been looked upon as a
fair price twenty days ago. Tnirly cents,
and from that to fifty, has been the fig
ure, aud on Yesterdays steamer went a
large crowd Of fishermen who refused to
catch at those prices.
The state of affairs is very unsatisfac-
tory. A man who has invested large
of capital, and who has been
filling his cans with ninety cent fish all
the season, can not feel very complacent
over matters when they come swarming
in now in such numbers as to exceed
tho capacity of the canneries to dispose
Of them, and at the same time the queS-
ton in his mind whsther it is best to
keep on even on thirty cent fish, or to
knock of altogether and quit for the
season. We do not wholly agree in the
opinion that the knowledge that there
is an unusual pack on the Columbia
river this season Ia going to keep the
price OF fish down. The market for
salmon both in this country and in
England depends, of course primarily
on the price al which it leaves the house
Of the retailer, but it depends ia a
greater degree upon the demand. In
this particular, fortunately for our sta
pie, the demand is n growing one. A
good many exaggerated reports have
been made concerning the large stocks
now on hand In England. These stocks
are not as large as represented, and it
will be the 1st Of November before this
seasons pack reaches England. The
large percentage which this season goes
ON consignment renders this an import
ant item In its final disposition. Of
course to those who have made sales,
the matter Is final.
The pr ,sent result Of the season that
is now closing will have great in
fuence OH futare business. II demon
strates the fact that the salmon are not
"giviug out" for no bigger or better
salmon have ever been caught in the
Columbia than are now beading up
stream to spawn. Ii will tend TO legiti-
mizs the business and make 1t tpartake
more of the nature of usual lines of
trade than has heretofore been charac-
teristic. The time has gone by when a
man could make a fortune in one sea-
son on the Colambia river, bu. the time
will never be when by the same care
and diligence applied to ordinary
branches of trade man cannot make
money. That the business is now over
done Is evidcnt.-4siorian.
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