The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-12-08
Packers to Hold Conference at
Seattle February q to Dis.
cuss Present Situation.
PlNKS ASKING FOR QUARTER
Reds Have Bested Them in the
Strife That Has Prevailed
and Congress is
Called.

Seattle VIII hold a salmon fisheries
congress, February 20, at which time an
effort will be made to settle the diff
ferences existing between the packers
of ''red" Alaska salmon and pink"
Alaska salmon. These rival interests
have been at war and nothing has
been left undone by each to ruin the
market of the product Of the other. The
plan Of warfare was pretty thoroughly
ventilated in The Astorian few days
ago The red fish packers have been
quoting prices on pink fish and the
pink dealers have been quoting prices
for red grades of fish. The prices of
course, were mythical. for the reason
that rival interests could not deliver
the class of goods on which they quoted
figures.
Pink fish are notorlously the very
poorest class of fish packed, Dealers
handling his variety do business at Sc
attle. and their product has, through
the medium of extensive advertising,
been brought into competition with the
better grades Of cheap salmon. The
Alaskan salmon market has suffered
somewhat In consequence, although the
\ ~, hnf mi.
cation than the Seattle firms.
In the unique commercial strife that
has waged the pink brokers have come
off second best. Consequently they are
asking for quarter. They propose a
congress at which the red dealers will
be- asked to make terms" The Alas
ka Packers Association, practically con-
trolling the market, will be appealed to
not to continue its war on pinkkks and
sockeyes. and generally the under dogs |
will plea for amnesty. Whether or |
not the extensive dealers will make
terms with their puny, yet annoying,
comjetitors is question.
, In announcing that the congress is
to be held, the Seattle Post-Intelligen-
Ger of Sunday says
",rhe general shortage in the seasons
pack having necessarily advanced
prices, the dealers interested in each
brand are anxious to show that their
own particular product is the one in
which the falling off has been most
marked, thereby justifying heavy ad-
vance In the price of that product. The
packers, heavily interest
ed in red salmon, have been proclaim
ing the dearth of that variety. A lead
ing Seattle house lately issued a cir
cular attacking these statements and \,
producing formidable array of figures
to show that the shortage of pinks was
still more marked.
ut is hoped to reconcile these con-
hicting interests at the congress and !
give the public at large better under
of the business The respect
I've merits Of the different species Of sal
mon and the location and probable sup
ply of each will be fully discussed. The
Seattle packers who are chiefly engag-
adin packing plnks claim that the Alas
ka Packers Association is trying to
bear the market for pinks with the In
tent to drive the independent packers
out of Alaskan waters
1.-THE question of q Frazer river hatch
cry which will be agitated before the {
congress, is not involved In the war be-
tween the reds and the pinlSs. The
Frazer river salmon Is the sockeye var
Ieaty. 1t Is probable that the propos-
ed hatchery will be endorsed without
dissent. Puget sound packers are all
In favor Of II. Said Phil F. Kelley,i
Of the Kelley Clarke Company, yester-
day:
"I think II will be agreed by every
one In the business on the sound that
the Fraser river hatchery should be es-
tablished. The Frazer Is the home and
natural breeding place of the sockeye,
There ls no other place where equal |
facilities for sockeye hatchery can be {
Afforded and without a hatchery there
/ seems inevitable that the sockeye
win intimately become almost ex-
met"