The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-11
Telephone No. &C.
WHAT is THEIR TROUBLED

We have vainly tried to bring to mind,
by searching among all the large COM
mercial interests Of this country, a par
allel condition 10 that which confronts
the salmon packers Of the Columbia
river today. Here is an industry fostered
and absolutely controlled within two
hundred miles Of territory bordering a
stream for that distance from its mouth.
It is impossible to tell what disposition
OF providence or law Of nature 1t Is
which makes the Columbia river the one
stream in the whole world Into which the
Royal Chinook salmon enters. All one
can grasp is that such Is the case, and
that the fact virtually narrows the
spawning and sporting grounds of the
most magnificent food product ever given
TO man into comparatively inflnitesimal
area. In this area are fifteen or sixteen
cannerymen. many of them with an ex-
perlence OF several years in the business.
and all presumably sound business men.
And they can't pull together.
Certainly no body OF commercial work.
ers could combine its interests more
easily than these. Hogs can be cured
everywhere, corn and fruit and beef
can be packed from one end of the con-
tinent to the other, but the product that
Columbia river Gamers handle can be
reached and utilized for trade purposes
In one locality. and only one. And still.
these men will stand by, pegglng out
their little individual plans, pulling the
strings back and forth, padding their
own solitary canoes here, there and every
where, and wisely quoting proverbs about
"every tub standing on Its own bottom"
And they won't pull together.
Take the Alaska Packers Association,
a great corporation, intelllgently forcing
Its product, gathered from over great
area, onto the markets Of the world \
And though that product is no more to
be compared with our Royal Chinook
salmon than porterhouse steak to the
ham strings OF giraffe, though It seems
to us here on the spot who know Of
these things, how like contamination OF
our own FISH It is even to mention the
two products In the same sentence,
stlll We cannot help expressing our admi-
ration OF the splendid business energy
and increasing and united efforts Of the
Alaska Packers Association in the fight
for practical control or many markets.
BY combination and sltlllful generalshlp
II has educated thousands of consumers
into believing that Alaska salmon is Just
as good as any other salmon, and has
taken mighty good care to see that no
individual competition In certain CEN
tres with better goods was allowed to
rndecelve Its admirers. And this has
been easy. With no united action against
its course 1t has smillngly seen matters
so Its own way and been by turns anus.
ed and sratlfied with the lnexpllcable in
action Of the Columbia River men. The
latter today could overturn this condl-
tion OF affairs In month; in two months
they could put every salmon elter in
possession OF the truth; In three months
they could establish the market for the
Royal Chinook on firm and indestructi-
BILE basis.
Wand they won't pull together.
We have dim recollection Of a chld's
game played with the four corners of
when say let go, hold
fast; when say hold fast, let go" 1t
Is the duty Of Columbia River cannery-
men to shake or their doubt and irresolu,
tion and get together. Combination is the
spirit OF the age, not necessarily for the
purpose Of raising prices (for that is no.
the history of legitimate combinatlons)
but for mutual protection of Identical in.
fereata