The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-09
COLUMBIA RIVER
FISHERMEN
Great Meeting Held Yesterday at
Fishers Hall BY All Classes
OF Fishermen,
TITS FIVE CENTS OR NOTHING
Nea Prepared to 5 aad 0lt Vu,il August
tO-Nu Fishing to Be NloNel tNeu
Tor the NarkrtS-rritcS Toe
All IauacrieS,

some tive thousand fishermen from AS
toria and all other nshtps stations along
the Columbia river assembled ycstcr-
day afternoon In mass rlcottng at Fish
cr's han. The room, wht'h IA the largest
In the city, did not begin TO accommodate
all those seeking admitttnco nut after
the chan Mas sifted from the wheat,
nearly all tho fishermen managed To
gain entrance, Outsiders having no in
tcrvst In affairs, did not rcmaia NJ tho
meeting, I'rom the hum " earnest CON
vcrsation throughout tho audience ho-
fore tho chairman called the meeting 20
order. &c WAS evident that every u was
there FOR q purpose. aud Tits purpose was
pll.rly demonstrated before the close OF
the proceedings, The best % order pre-
vailed throughout, and In a bustncSslikc
manner the fishermen present took up the
questions before them
the chairman called the meeting to or.
der. and briefly stated thc object % the
call Tor the meeting, Ho said that the
Fishgrm,n's Union had decided In TX.
rcuti,v Session that i've cents a pound
WAS @ tate prize tor salmon. and that
the mon would not nan Tor a lower Hs-
are. Eut. realizing that there were many
others Whv, perhaps. should be- consult
cd In the matter 10 was decided to call
q mass meeting Of hshvrmeD % an
classes on the river 70 discuss the prop
ositiop OF tho packers,
SyvrvWry Jensen, ~ tho Ftshsrmvn's
Union. rrad various letters from cannery-
men. iu which the a-nuouuyrfucnt WIS
made that owing 10 mo 'oulitlon ot
the market on cJnur goods, they could
not stand the price OF five cents per pound
on raw material He then read New
York newspaper market quotations. from
which be established the fact that hyc
cents per pound could be- paid. or at
least. according 20 his reasoning ought
10 hc paid. by the packers Without
much argument. 10y a unanimous voc.
the assembled fishermen decided that
they would hold out Tor the prize Of five
cents on raw material until the ioth OF
August Thrro committees Were then up-
pointed, one 90 look after tho trap men.
one TO watch the ~virrrs. and the other
10 see that the Kill NET Hsharwen lived up
to the provisions OF the agreement Just
entered into. IL was provided. however.
that the fishermen might hsh Tor their
" consumption only. hIt they are not
permitted 90 sell any Hsh 70 the markets
or private individuals. boats. or other
consumers II the mon are found NIollt-
ing the provisions of tho agreement. and
the committees cannot handle the Cnse.
the union Is 90 Dee called upou FOR help
In putting down such infrastions OF the
combine rule. Individual ranacrymcu are
not 10 Dee allowed 10 employ non-unlon
fishermen or any other 1shrrmon. oven
should they b" willing % pay i've cent.
per pound, unless every ctn1crv on the
river agrees 10 that price.
II was rumorvd ln the meeting. that
there were a lot or fishermen up the
river who were willing 20 nsh FOR the
prices promulgated by the packers. 4
committee was appointed 20 visit ail Lp-
river points and put q Jtop to this de-
fecuon on the part q their numbers.
The same committee was also instructed
10 put a stop 20 the ashwheed operations
and thus completely close all avenues
Of supply open TO the hackers.
II Is the concensus OF opinion Of an
who attended the meeting yesterday. that
unless tn" packers conc"d- the demands
OF the fishermen, when the season opens
tomorrow, there will be innugurnted the
most extensive and bitter strike ever
known In the history Of fishing opera
tons on the Columbia river. Already
every merchant in Astoria Is beginning
to feel the stress % circumstances. and
has begun to curtail his line OF credits
and take In sail. OF course. all hope that
a compromise may be reached. but both
sides are well organized and there seems
to be little prospect for anything but a
long-Continued strike.