The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-01
AS TO THE SALMON TRUST.

~ ~ GEAA4-AN-N AANEAs
We have no bone to pick with tn
salmon trust. In assuming that W
have. some Of the trusts FOOLS
friends have made as grave a mis-
take as the gudgeons that swallowei
the bait, hook and bobber. The sal
mon trust. otherwise the Columbii
River Packers Association, has ou
! permission to exercise the right Of life
! liberty and the pursuit Of happiness
But in briefly defining our own posi-
tiun as 10 the salmon trust we do no
assume to speak for the distributing
trade in New York and other cities
who are decidedly OF the opinion thai
the trust does not deserve to live, foI
the reason that 1t is disposed to deny
this blessing to others. For exam
pie. dealers in New York who have
spent large sums Of money in identi-
flying themselves by means OF long
handling and expensive advertising
with a certain brand Of goods do not
wish to have the trust say they shall
no longer handle that brand. To be
deprived, or despoiled. Of this right
means a serious loss in business, and
these dealers contend, with much
/ chnpfH
not be made the victims OF such ar
bitrary power. In this contention We
are with them-New York CONNER
cial
Here is a revelation for certain Ore
gon papers that make a pra,tice OF in
juring their own community by repub-
fishing every piece Of rot which ap-
pears in the Commercial concerning
the Columbia River Packers AssOcia-
iion. Plainly, the root Of the CONNER
cials agitation is not the excess Of sym
pathy it feels over the lot Of the poor
fishermen on the Columbia river. who
have to take from two TO four cents
a pound more for their fish than they
would receive if it had not been for
the organization Of the packers as
sociation. The trouble with the Com
mercial is. rather, the outcry Of the
band Of New York parasites. who with
out toiling or spinning in the fisher
mems field, have heretofore been ar
rayed like the lilly out Of the sweat and |
peril Of the men who go down TO the |
Columbia river bar in fishing boats.
These fellows find their occupation
gone. The Columbia River Packers As
sociation has seen ft to dispense with
them. II prefers TO save the wealth
they have been extracting these many
years out Of their manipulation Of
the salmon market for the benefit Of
the men who catch the fish or have
their money invested in the machinery
which prepares 1t for the consumers
table. The Columbia River Packers
Association proposes to have no deal
ings with these fishers and Gamers Of
Columbia river salmon through the
media Of the typewriter and print
ing press-whose only association with
The industry comes from their ability
TO stir up competition and ill-will
among salmon Gamers who imagine
they have TO go down to New York
to sell their fish The Columbia Riv-
sr Packers Association prefers to pack
is fish under its own guaranteed la
bells; TO put its entire product on the
market under certificate Of quality
hat means just what it says and
which leaves no room for the frauds
md manipulatlons that have done so
much injury to the once peerless {
tanding Of Columbia river fish and {
t, hich once reduced its price in the {
worlds market TO the level of the I
heap thelch put up on Puget sound 3
nd the small brackish streams Of the i
Washington coast. II this is any Of {
ense to the people in Oregon who get
heir living in return for labor per-
ormed in he Columbia river indus
ry, We fail to see where it comes in. {
the rage and disappointment Of :
hese New York broker sharks, who Z
ave been shut out Of a business to /
7hieh they contributed neither capital Q
or labor by the clean and direct
Methods of the Columbia River Pack !
rs Association. is any justification for y
he attempts Of Oregon newspapers n
D ineite prejudice against the asso- ?
iation on the Columbia river, let them 4
lake the most Of it. We rather think q