The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-20
relephone No. Sc.
A rARlpY CRITICISM.

peared IN yesterdays Oregonian on the
subject of bogus salmon labels. The As
torian repHnts dt. principally because 1t
is gfad tFht The oregouian has at Last
seen fit to recognize THE Importance OF
the question, AFTER our own persistent
efforts have been noticed and appreciated
by every trade paper I'm the United States
for several months past. 1t seems as
though our Portland contemporary, heed
full Of IT'S past silence, has determined TO
jump Into the middle Of the matter with
both feet, tbplt in doing so 1T has In one
or two ways overstretched the facts,
The general tone OF the article, however,
rs on ehe right SIDE. or its mistakes we
win have something to say later on'
There is well-dehned prospect that
the term Columbia river salmon" will
soon become meaningless, IL its has not
already done So To such an extent
has the business of packing inferior
ftsh under false labels grown that 1t
Is now no uncommon thing for commits
sion men to be asked by Eastern and
Southern dealers for Columbia river
salmon which can be sold at 75 or 80
cents a case, whereas no true Columbia
RIVER chinook salmon can be provided
6or less than 81, and from that up to
s1.55. The Columbia river Gamers are
also complaining just now that sales
are dun for their best product, while
the cheap grade of salmon OF the out
AIDE rivers and bays of the coast, which
Is sold ait prices less than last year. finds
ready sale. frequently the demand ex-
ceeding the supply.
These facts Indicate that Columbia
river salmon, instead Of being held to
a high mark as the king of food fish,
eligible to the tables Of the weil-to-do,
who can afford to pay for good article,
is suffering a degeneration and taking |
It's place as an inferior food product, |
cold TO such cheap consumers as mining, |
logging and lumbeIng camps cotton and
sugar plantations. No one need be sur
prised at This II Is the logical and In
evdhable outcome of the reckless fashion
In which poor qualSty of fish has been
scattered broadcast in Eastern markets
bearing the choicest brands OF Columbia
RIVER Gamers. 1t Is matter Of common
knowledge that last fall some of the
Columbia river Gamers packed the fall
run OF salmon, which Us to the royal
chinook what the neck steak is to the
tenderoln, and which, after once in fresh
water deteriorates In color and flavor
very rapidly, In cans bearing attractive
llbels, Stating that they were packed at
this and that place on the Columbia riv-
is that salmon on the Southern Oregon
rivers and bays are packed under Col
umbla river labels. Puget Sound Gamers
also ship their packs unlabeled to Asto-
ma. Portland or San Francisco, whtre
they are repacked under Columbia river
labels
The result of all this Is, of course That,
wherever the Columbia river salmon trade
has been established and brands become
kndwa, There is scramble to supply such
trade and I'LL orders for such brands as
cheapiy as possible, The result vs. that
the first-ccass and h.gher-priced salmon is
hindered or stopped in it's sales by tie
spurious and cheaper article. The next
thing is THAT the Columbia river salmon
Itself is d.scredited, consumers no longer
like It, and It's glory has departed.
This is the sltuaIseon and 1t calls loudly
for a remedy, self-interest, one would
think, should prever. the pracbice, But
It does not. and the evil seems to be on
the increase. The rgheeous!y indignant
packer OF one year may be the mercenary
scoundrel OF atother, Probably ehe only
recourse win be the law. with penalty,
half of whrch will 90 to the nformer
Gamers would appeal to law wno now
conten; themselves with mild impreca-
tions. Washington has stringent law
on the subject. which is said to work ef-
tect'veiy In practice