The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-12-02
PRICES ARE
ARTIFICIAL
Sensational Methods Employed
by Rival Salmon Brokers to
Down Alaska Figures.
THE EFFECT FELT LOCALLY
Opposing Agents Quote Prices
ON Grades Handled by
Competitors and Not
by Themselves.
THE EFFECT FELT LOCALLY

The present extensive juggling Of
salmon prices has brought to light
an interesting condition Of affairs, that
causes much amusement among CO.
umbia river packers who are not in
voIyed In Alaskan ventures. Rival brok
erage Arms are employing identicaily
the same tactics in their effort TO hurt
the product handled BY each other. and
seek 10 injure the market price Of the
different grades OF Alaska salmon by
quoting rediculously low prices on fish
when. as matter OF fact. they have
no fish OF the kind to offer.
J. X. Armsby. selling agent for the
Alaska Packers Association; originated
this neat scheme to down the other fell
low The product Of the Alaska Pack
ers' Association ia almost entirely red
fish. the quantity Of pink fish handled
by Armsby being 80 insignificant as 70
be ignored by the agent. In past years
Armsgy has offered pink fish and dog
salmon (churns) at very low figures.
His offer influenced buyers, OF course,
but as Armsby had no pink fish to sell
his company did not suffer. The other
fellow was the fall guy" This sea-
son. for instance, ,Armsby has been Of
fering pinks for SO cents dozen and
chums for 37ls cents dozen, the Arms
BY price for plnks being Is cents lower
than the opening price in 1902. Arms
by's prices have gone forth and he has
smiled contentediy in his Office as he
viewed the progress Of the commercial
strife Of the other fellows.
But the other fellows have finally
learned to play the game according to
the most approved methods, and they
have lately been lighting the prolific
Armsby with his own fire. Among the
firms handling pink fish is the Kelley
Clarke Company, Of Seattle. This COM
cern represents southeastern Alaskan
packing houses. whose output is practi-
cally all pink fish. Kelly-clarke handle
little or no red fish, but they have adopt
ed the old Armsby scheme Of quoting
prices. In circular issued November
II they announce that they have placed
a price OF si.l5 and s1.20 on Alaska
reds, whereas the A. P. A. selling price
Is $3.50. This is in retaliation for the
effort OF Armsby 10 knock down the
price of pinks, &nd it seems that the
Seattle coup is meeting with some sue
cess. Each OF the rival interests Is
making figures on fish that it does not
handle. with the result that the market
for Alaska fish is being demoralized.
There is no bad effect locally Of this
warfare, except as concerns the Asto-
rians interested in Alaska fishing en-
terprises. The Astoria firms operating
c,nneries in the north pack red fish
exclusively, and they are sufferers from
this commercial strife between broker
age jugglers. II the trade were ac-
quainted with the circumstances, the
ficticious prices could be quoted for a
century without affecting the market
materially, but the small jobbers and
retailers are not aware OF the sensa-
tional tactics employed by the leading
brokerage houses.
'.The scheming of the two interests
merely hurts red prices" said a pseser
yesterday, ''and results in loss to those
Astoria firms owning canneries In the
north. So far as the pink fish dealers
are concerned, / have little sympathy
for them, because their product Is in
ferior and should not be put on the
market. 1t is unfortunate that such
unscrupulous schemes should be resort
ed to, for they enable the handler of
Inferior salmon to injure the price OF
the superior quality. The warfare has
no effect on Columbia river salmon,
which, thank goodness, Il. In a class of
Its own" 1Fst