The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-04-14
The True State
Of Salmon Canning

In the history OF the salmon canning
industry, the prospects have never beer
so gloomy as at present. Several cause:
have combined to bring about the ex
listing state of affairs. The first nay bt
said to have been the unprecedented
storms of the past six or seven weeks
which have rendered the driving o.
traps, except in a rev instances, impos-
sible. Next came the trouble between
the Gamers and gill-net men over the
price Of fish, and the present deadlock
without any apparent hope of conces.
sion ON either side; and lastly, may be
considered the scarcity of fish, the run
of the first day having been exhausted
and few salmon being obtadnable in
either the lower or upper portions OF
of the river.
Yesterdays Oregonian contains the
following statement under date of AS.
toria, April 18th: 1.-The run of salmon
continues good, and all the canneries
are putting up fish. but in not very
large quantities at present. The fisher.
mems union has called off the fisher.
men until satisfactory arrangements
are made with the Gamers, by which
they expect to get $1.15 per fish,"
When he Oregonian arrived in this
city yesterday, an Historian reporter
saw some of the cannerymen with a
view to learning definitely the quantity
of fish packed by each. The first gen.
tleman called upon was j. G. Megler,
of Brookheld, who happened to be in
the city. "As far as ] am concerned,
there is m truth In the statement, /"
said he. II have not, so far, put up a
single case, and as for fish being plenti-
full, canne and fishermen alike say
there are few fish to be caught"
Mr.. N. Weber, of the North Shore
Packing Company, stated that he had
put up something less than 100 cases to
date, while Mr.. Weatherbee, OF the
Eureka Packing Company, at Eagle
Cliff, had packed but 80 cases.
Messrs. George & Barker have packed
but twenty-seven cases, out of which
there were only ten cases of first-class
goods, the balance Icing pink fish, and
coming under the head of second-class
goods. 1t is stated that two fishermen
brought thirteen fish to this cannery
yesterday, and offered the lot for sale.
After looking at them Mr.. Barker said
thara mac onIv ono fret-oIooS coln,on
among the thirteen, and when the fish
were dressed twelve of them were
found to be pink in color.
At Elmore's carlnery between thirty
since the opening of the season, and
MCGOWAN Bros, have not put up any.
In fact the North Shores pack of 100
cases is much in excess of that of any
other cannery with the single exception
of the Eureka Packing Company. AS
for the five canneries outside the COM
bination, 1t could not be ascertained
what they had done, but taking the
joint statements of IN and union
fishermen alike as a basis Of an esti-
mate, the average pack of fish, three
of which are conceded to be
second-class goods, will not foot up for
the season more than sixty cases per
cannery for those that have begun OPP
erations. There is no use denying the
fact that matters are gloomy in the
extreme. Summed up briefly, the stu
alton is simply this; AS a result of the
spring, the inferior size, quality
and quantity of fish, the present alarm
ng proportions of the fishermen's strike
Ind the small number of traps driven,
he salmon pack of 1898 Is not likely to
exceed half that of last year.