The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-17

Men well Informed say that there is yet
possibility that the big salmon deal be-
tween the trap men and the Pacific Fish
Company. or Ch.--4go. in which millions
CT money are involved, may Fall through
The fifat settlement of the matter -. they
claim. dependent upon the action OF tina
legislature IN passing laws concerning
FISH traps
Should laws which force the trap men
TO expose their buS.ness 10 public view be
passed, there IL q great probability that
the sale sil never De made. and this
stands notwithstanding the fact that over
s1esi.fs has already been paid 10 trap men
and canaery owners. This money chang
ed hands "Wednesday at New WhatcOm
10 meet the bonded agreements that had
been made between Mr.. onffroy, for the
Pacific Fish Company. and the salmon
men. The agreement called for payments
Oh Wednesday. so that 20 hold the deal X
was necessary 10 make them Other pay
ments are due on April l. Whether or not
they viii be made, the trap owners say
lies largely with the legislature at oIym-
pia-
Object of the Company.
The object Of this Chicago company is 10
build an immense caDnery on B-llsngham
bay one which will produce $3.50 cases per
day. or more than le0.sa cases PEE season,
Of sock-eye salmon. In addition the COM
pany proposes 10 can the silver and the
hEmphack, which run during the fall
The latter kind are so plentiful that they
are very cheap Few Gamers have ever
handled them. because they are an in
ferior fish. selling at prices about 10 per
cent. lower than the sock-eye. 1t is the
purpose OF the Pacific company 10 go into
this field and attempt to handle the whole
catch of the fail season. The humpbacas
nj
time when they viii come again With a
canaery whose capacity is $500 cases per
day 80 .@0 cases might be canned during
the fail season.
This new cannery, with the two-the
Northwest Packing Company and the ISL
and Packing, capacity over lt1sWn, on
which options are held-would make the
Chicago people the heav West Gamers on
the Sound. Then the fifteen Or twenty
traps on which options are held make The
investment stu larger.
should these people fuinll all their
agreements and make the investments
which they contemplate" said one OF the
trap owners who has Just sold out, they
will put in over 81 $4,000 This amount
will be invested on Puget sound. II win
mean the commencement practically OF
new industry. for never before has any
eann.ry handled the humpback salmon.
1t viii mean almost the doubling OF our
fish product
Future should He Considered.
1T does seem 10 me that the legislature
should have some consideration for nusi-
ness interests here. Is not the investment
Of sI.5qo go desirable? DO We not want
capital out IN this country Don't We
want the salmon product Of Puget sound
dounled7 Has IL not been our continual
policy to encourage the investment OF
Eastern capital in Washington? Has this
policy been mere pretenseF II seems
TO me that the legislature should not
pass laws that will keep money away.
THE particular objections which this
Chicago company make To Commissioners
Iittie's bill. known as house bill No. $40.
is the clause requiring trap owners to file
aridavits of their catch. Here is the pro-
vision;
son owning or operating any trap pound
net or FISH wheel 10 furnish 20 the fish
commissioner on or before the 10th day OF
each month q sworn statement giving the
location Of such trap or pound net aud n
detailed statement az the actual number
Of nsh caught at such trap or pound net.
and In addition 20 answer such questions
as the fish commissioner shall PROFOUND
which statement shall be fled with and
retained by the fish commissioner
That clause would give Eastern brok-
ers the information which they have
sought for years II would put the can
ners. and consequently the trap men. at
the mercy az these brokers. They would
De able 10 bull and Aear the market as
they chose We don't want the salmon
business % Puget sound at the mercy az
Eastern brokers. Let the legislature make
q fiat tax on traps eqGaiiziDc IL by low
ering or increasing the tax according 90
the size Of tho traps I am confident that
this Chicago concern would rather lose
the money that Il has already put up
than have Its business 3ecpar1ized BY such
a law.
Another Provision.
Again there ia another provision Of the
hn which will work n hardship upon trap
owners. making II almost imposs isle FOR
them IN work ~ times. Here is a require
Dant from section s:
Such uplicsrt fthe trap owner or en-
ploye) shall present in writing to TIE FISH
commissioners his application (for q H.
censel which application shall be accom-
panied ny the affidavit of said applicant
that he IS a citizen OF the United States
or has declared his intentions 80 hecorr,.
such. ore year prior to the making OF
soch application. and shat be IA aod has
oeen for one yea preC Sding such apr,Ii-
catsoD bona Hee resident ~ the stale az
Washington etr.
Now have come IN rem my trans a,
70 Quit work T'faey would give M ncfgra
at ali They would say simply THAI thsv
didn't intend 20 40 20 work in the morn
ins. I wault find Il necessary 10 GO w
town and get men az once n order To
have q complete crew FOR the morning
What wctsl3 nave done with Sgrn n
law n effect II would require week 20
make such application and receive. =
license during which time I Suppose. I
must keep my trap idle. Ia nef the in
justice 90 thss provision APPARENT
AMI sEMENTs.