The morning call., 1893-02-17
TO CHEAPEN FISH.
Steamers and SailbOats
Form a Pool.
The American Union Fish Company
Incorporated With Capital Stock
of Half a Million.

The American Union Fish Company Of
San Francisco was incorporated yesterday
with capital stock Of $500, 0O0 and will be
ready for business by the first of next month.
According to the promoters Of the scheme,
this means cheaper fish food for consumers
and living wages for the men who toll with
the nets.
The company hopes to practically control
the fish business, extend the markets and
cheaper the price Of the product by doing
away with the middlemen.
For some time past the Italian fishing
colony at the foot of Vallejo street has been
on the verge of bankruptcy. Neither the
steamers nor the small boats made any
money, owing TO petty jealousies and an
individual effort to control the market.
Ii was a common occurrence TO dump
tons of fish overheard when there was de-
mand for them. This was done when the
price was nearly double what The catch
was worth. but the man who controlled
matters would rather lose money than see
a rival flourish.
This was rough on the owners of small
! boats who depended on their days catch
for n living.
They struggled along for time, but the
pressure was too great and they had to give
in. Nearly one-fOurth of the colony sold
out their boats at a sacrifice and quit the
business.
Still the price of fish continued at the top
notch. Steamers cut in on the trade. but
/ even the owners thereof did not thrive, on
! ing to the intervention of the mddleman.
Some OF these steamers were operated by
; Italians, but they Injured themselves as
/ well as the poorer fishermen who de-
pended on sails and oars fer motive power
TO and from tie fishing grounds.
Carg0es of fish were held In order TO boom
. l. III, - g.
! Then il was dumped into the bay and all
! hands lost money.
! 4 few days ago several OF the leading
| fshdealers among the Italians, together
I with c. DonderO, secretary Of the Italian
| Chamber Of Commerce. interested them
| selves in the matter.
! AS a result the American Union Fish
/ Company was organized. with a capital of
! S5O0.0 00 S90.000 of when is paid Id, with
! Immediate prospects of more.
( 1t is a cooperative concern which takes
! in the bOatmen and the steamers, forming a
large stock company. The plan was only
unfolded TO the individual fishers couple
of days ago and sixty of them have already
been gathered into the fold
-Four of the fishing steamers owned by
Italians are also included in the deal. They
are the L. S. Grant. FaTragut, Golden Gate
ana Robarts.
All the small fishers will be taken in If
! they desire 10 join the company. Those who
! do not come in can dispose of their catch by
dealing directly with the market. " hich
throws the middleman out of the way of
doing business in the matter of fish.
The old market at SIS Merchant street has
been leased by the company. The room ex-
tends through to Washington street, be-
tween Montgomery and SanSOme.
It is the intention to thoroughly overhaul
and remodel the place and make OF it a
frst-class fish market giving employment to
those members of the company whose sery-
ices are not required on the briny deep.
Some of the leading spirits in the enter
prise are y. Pardini. L. AntOni, y. Fabrs
and j. B. Inguglia, who are interested in
fishing steamers and markets.
There viii be no attempt. the members Of
| the company assert, 10 form a trust Tie
object is simply to reduce the price Of fish
and enable the fishers TO make a living.
which is more than they are doing now.
The public was paying big price for fish,
but no one was making anything. What
profit there was in the business went to the
middlemen.
Another object the company has In view
is to extend the trade TO outside points, a
feat which no single dealer could accomplish
under existing conditions. When the COM
pany gets TO work the catch viii be landed
direct from the boats 10 the slabs In the
market. thus giving it control of the bust
ness. Small fishers are rapidly coming in
and by March l the fish business will be
under one management.
The directors Of the company are c. Dan
derO. c. Cuneo, j. b. Inguglia, A. Rocca,
A. Silvesiri j. Sp0sito. a. Guisti Jr., j.
Trapani, +. AntOni. T. Fabris and \.
| Pardini.