The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-25
WEEKLY SALMON REPORT.

| ginning to push for new Columbia River
| pack, at firm prices. Jobbers are already
breaking from the ~ per cent discount
| terms, and outside of one or two rare
cases have had to take the goods of rep
utable packers on previously existing
| terms or leave them alone. Shipments
| will soon begin to resume normal dimen-
sions and before our next report will
doubtless have so far progressed as to
| quickly clear the Astoria end of all goods
packed to date. We quote slight ad-
vance in prices as follows: Columbia
| River standard brands, straight Chinooks,
$1.S5 to $l.40 for tails, and $1.52h to N.5i1s
| for fats. Ovals show a still more mark
ed increase, and are now running from
$1.S5 to $1.95. Keys are from &c to 715c
above these prices, the majority of sales
taking key goods at the higher figure.
| New York, Boston, Philadelphia, ana
| Chicago correspondents report to us
quiet but steady demand for first quality
goods, the manner In which flats and
ovals are growing In favor being distinct
ly noticeable. The Alaska Packers Asso-
citation is making ready sales Of Its cheap
product and the price shows a healthy
tendency in all quarters. Red Alaska
in medium to large lots continues at 95e
per dozen, with 2h and &c reduction
on double and quIdruple quantities, and
we look for slight advance on these
figures in the near future. While the
Fraser River pack this year is not ex-
pected TO be large, British Columbia can.
nerymen are making preparations for u
good run. Within the last week two
new canneries have been started on the
Fraser. Eastern Canadian advices show
scarcity among stocks in all the big
centers, and prices are tending upward,
no doubt carried to some extent by the
rise in values of all canned provisions.
The foreign market for standard Column
bla River goods is advancing rapidly and
buyers for the United Kingdom want all
the goods they can get at substantial
prices, more particularly for ovals. Eben-
ezer Thompson, one of the largest distrlb-
utors In England has been making sew
eral bulk purchases In this city during the
last few days. He states to us that fully
100000 cases of Columbia River salmon
viii find their way to the British Isles
this year, as against 10000 cases from
this locality in 1894. He attributes the
ton of consumers in the superiority Of
Columbia River fish, and partly to the
fact that there is a large proportion Of
the public on the continent who have
only begun to be salmon eaters since the
oval form of can was introduced among
them. He reports the distributive de-
pand In consequence unusually active
Messrs. B. Collin & Sons, of London, re-
port that the Alaska Packers Assocla-
ton has sold the control OF its export
to foreign markets of 1895 pack at full
price, hardening figures considerably.
Private reports from San Francisco to
this city verify the statement. Packers
of salmon on the Sacramento River are
hard at work. and Indications are that
the California pack will run at about
the same figures as last year. Contracts
call principally for shipment to old line
orders as soon as goods are packed.
Packing on the lower Columbia during the
past week has gone along steadily. On
Saturday fish averaged to 10 per boat
Mondays work showed a considerable In
crease ond the boat average was fully
Is. From that day on to the preseAl
time 1t has remained at an average of
nine. Weight Is advancing. the average
per salmon being fully 2S pounds. Quality
was never better, and the oldest fisher
men on the river claim that the color and
richness Of the fish have never been sur.
passed. Though up to May 1st the pack
Of the whole river was fully 70 per cent
greater than to the same date last year,
that advance has been pulled down con-
siderably in the past twoaweeks, on ac-
count Of the continued inactivity of the
middle river and up river work. Cannerles
at Clifton, Cathlamet, Waterford, Eureka
and Eagle Cliff on the Middle Columbia
are running very small packs up to date,
averaging only from so to 100 cases each
per day. At the Cascades matters have
Improved very little during the past few
days, and the blueback catch In that
locality and The Dalles is fully 10 per
cent behind the figures ait this time last
season. Several Of the largest fish wheels
have not yet been reached by the water,
and have been unable to contribute an
hours work UP to the present time. AL
together, considering the appearance Of
the salmon, which is developed a full
month farther than ordinarily, there Is
every reason to expect "a considerable
slackening up In the catch Of the river
towards the close OF the season, and
already cannerymen are beginning to
think that the pack will not run much
over 10000 cases, or 5000 short Of last
year. There has lately been a noticeable
movement on the part of few packers
to can one-half pound ovals, species OF
packing that takes an infinite 1mount
Of labor with very little result. Natural
ly the leading cannerymen are pleased to
note that their wreHgle with the jobbers
over the cash" discount rates has ended
In their favor and all Of them find .heir
market far more ample than their ca
Dacity will allow them to M, and at le-
Ultimate prices, too. As we predicted
at the beginning Of the controversy, the
Jobbers did not understand how strong
position their opponents were In 70 re-
fist their very remarkable demands.
1t is rumored that within few days