The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-26

"Citlzen" Asks Pertinent Queptons con.
corning Fishing eituatlon
Astoria. May q. pa.

they allow large plants 70 lie idle ana
they carry over for tho years gear7
2lf there IN demand for Columbia
river salmon, why does not tho stock Of
last year leave the river and md mar
kcthg
5-why cannot the fishermen Of the
lower river fah for four cents per pound
na well 49, those hboyeI one hundred
thousand dollars have been earned al
ready this season by the up-nger fisher
men.
t-If the fAher at the mouth Of the riy-
or cannot afford 10 nHh for four cents.
why does Il require force. destruction
OF property and personal violence 70 pre-
vent them from nshlng7
5-lf four cents for one-thlrd Of the
seasons catch Is lost how can Il bo
made up during the balance OF the year
even though tho price should be ralsed d
TO hye centsg
Take last years pack for the basis
5000 cases az four cents for iish gross.
net t2-E per case. makes a loss OF tifs.
0CD less the 10000 earned by the up-river
nnhormon. Net loss. $500 on the FIRST
third Of tho year.
Catch for the balance Of the year 100. =
on cases at one cent per pound for fish,
above four cents. net per case sixty-twO
cents. total gain. tis.O00 on last OF the
season, Deduct this from the loss OF the
nrst third. and Il leaves a net loss of
tisS.009 TO the fishermen primarily ana
indirectly to the community at large for
tho season Of iss
C-If Columbia river fish liz kept out
OF the market this year. viii Il not be
supplanted hext season by Alaska nshy
VIII not the Columbia nsh then ana
thereafter lose It's Royal" reputation
and sell alongside common salmon ana
at about the same raies1
III Chlnoon salmon BE- put at ti.31
ana Alaska fish al nlnety cents per dozen.
will not the average consumer-wage
carnes-taSe the Alaska fish In preference
TO tho Chinook
Sis there not as much nutriment IN a
pound OF Alaska fish ms In the same
Quantity OF Chinook nshg
9-To the average consumer In the tenn
perate zones. Is not the Alaska fish as
pahtable as the more oily salmon OF the
Columbla1
io--Does not the Columbia River furnish
less than onc-thlrd OF the Pacific coast
pack OF salmon. and cannot the world
and will its absence have any great effect
ON the market for canned salmon?
ibid the Frazer River fish crowd the
Columbia salmon out OF the European
market; although tho latter had for
years been the only canned salmon
known thcreP
l2-is not the Alaska fish, which Is as
good as Frazer River, now pushing the
Columbia fish out OF the markets OF the
United States. because OF the high price
OF the Columbia River hshg
iS-Did not the Alaska fish interfere
with the consumption OF Columbia River
fish last year. and is Il not the cause
OF SO much Old stock being on the river
now, unsalahle? CITIZEN.
a gentleman having access TO some
old cannery records and who has been
AN Interested spectator OF the present
fishing situation, yesterday gave an As
torian representative the following fig
urcs. which answer some of the queries
above:
Fifteea years ago on pack Of $500
cases OF salmon on the lower Columbia
river, SHlS5 was paid for the raw Ash.
and S5l.0O0 for the material and labor In
Packing, making total cost TO the
cannerymcn OF S99. iSj The same amount
OF FISH, packed at the present prices.
would cost the cannerymcn about $SS.OoO
for the raw material. and about SO. 90
for labor and packing, making total OF
Ni7.O00. Il would seem, then, from these
figures, that on the present demand OF
i've cents for fish. the fishermen would
receive $4,000 more than fifteen years
ago, being n saving made In the cost
OF labor and packing On account OF the
improved methods and machinery now in
use; and they would also receive about
$4,000 additional on the raw material.
Fifteen years ago the fishermen were re-
ceiving an average OF fifty-seven and one
half cents per fish,
From the British consular reports for
the year 1855, presented to parliament in
June, lSS, the department for San Fran
cisco and the Pacific coast, reports as
follows;
THE total fishing in the Columbia rlv-
er in this district, shows a marked falling
on In the spring catch of Chinook salm-
on, made up In part, by the catching ana
using during the past season, OF other
species of salmon, namely bluebacks and
steelheads. not heretofore used The
fishermen receive on an average 5s per
fish.
"The prices received for salmon pack
ing ranged markedly higher in ISIS than
In 1887. but owing to the increased price
OF raw fish, amounting to three shilllngs
per case, the profits have been divided;
but the closing out of a number of the
cooperative packing establishments has
no doubt made It better for those who
remain In the business than 1t otherwise
would have been.
Alaska, however, is claiming the at
tentionSof great number in this vicin-
ity. who are caught by the promise OF
the low price OF fish, irrespective OF
other consideration"
When shown these paragraphs from
the consular reports the gentleman refer
ed to above, stated that In connection
with the figures quoted, 1t was easy for
any one familitr with the situation to
see the end to which the Columbia salm-
on industry was rapidly tending.
o. l.. IL q