The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-08-15

p. J. MCGOWAN & Sons (Cascades) 1000
Seufert Bros. ...............,.... $500
Total .."...............,., .2Z9. 900
In addition about two thousand tons Of
FISH were handled by the cold storage
plants. accurate figures of which are
not ob,alnable. During the big run
carloads Of salmon were shipped daily
TO the up-rIver canneries and II Is es-
ilmated ,ha, McGowan's cannery at the
Cascades packed at least 100 tons OF the
overflow inn the catch.
An Interesting feature u the annual
pack on the Columbia Is the amount Of
money Necessary 10 place the produce on
the market In the grain fields OF the
Middle Wes, lmmense amounts Of mon
ey are required from the banks Of the
big cities to move the crop and 50 also
there must be a large sum invested in
the salmon pack, which is paid out be-
fore tho returns come In. 4 cannery-
man cOnyersant with the requirements
Of the Industry stated yesterday TO an
As,or!an reporter that It would take
about s25OO.OO0 to place the pack on the
market. including the products Of the
cold storage plants.
The congestion Of the cannerlss dur
ing the big runs and the consequent
scarcity Of labor will probably result
in the increased employment Of white
labor by the cannerymen next summer.
The Union Cooperative cannery en-
ployed large numbers Of white men and
women and children and found them
satisfactory Secretary Nelson, Of the
company. said yesterday in discussing
the matter
We found the white labor satIsfac-
tory in some % the departments though
Of course their employment was made
necessary by the unusually large run.
As to whether or not they would be
preferable TO Chinese labor Il would be
difficult to say There is no doubt but
tina; the white workmen could do sat
lsfactory work after they become ia
mIliar with packing house methods.
They could probably do quite as well as
the Chinese labor but other things must
be taken into consideration.
Suppose that the csnneries were
eduip7ed with white labor and that in
the midst Of heavy run like we have
recently seen the men should present
series OF grievances and threaten TO
strike unless the proposed demands were
granted. Where would The canneries
be? The chances are we would lose
the entire run. Then again some other
labor organization with which the can
merry operatives We're affiliated might
walk out and a sympathetic strike
would b. declared as has been done in
san Francisco, With Chinese labor
there is no trouble Of that sort. How
ever, l presume that the percentage Of
white labor employed in the cannery will
be increased next year"
An official Of the Columbia River
Packers Association las, night declared |
that the association stood unequlvocal- !
ly for white labor in preference to Chi
nese clnnery hands He said:
I'VE are going to give white labor an
to replace the Chinese If
they wish TO DO so. Next year We will |
try to start a cannery to be operated al
most entirely by white workingmen and /
women. The only Chinese employed |
will b. the spltters, bath room men and
soldering men and these will be replaced
as soon as the white men become suffi-
clenty proficient to do the work We
wan; 70 encourage the young labor Of
the city and II there is not enough
here We hope to be the result Of work
ing people flocking to Astoria during
the fishing season as they flock to the
hop fields during harves; time. We shall
give the experiment a thorough trial
ana We sincerely hope that It VIII prove
NJ narp,aDapr valua to all concerned