Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-04-17
" DISCOVERED AT LAST JUDGE VAN WYCK STATUS OF SHACKS
THE CLAM INDUSTRY D|S(
MAY BE DRIVEN FROM GRAYS HAR.
Dor BY The DAVIS Law.
u is Alleged That the Bill Was Sur
repfitiOuSly Changed After Com
mittee Had Agreed on Close
Season. The Change May Kill the
Business on GrayS HarbOr.

Two measures enacted by the late un-
aamented legislature are monuments TO
the sublime craftsmanship Of Repre-
sentative County Com missioner Geo. l..
Davis, the factory inspection bill and
the clam protection BILL and both propo.
sitions appear to be not only useless bnt
absolutely detrimental to the interests
they were intended to conserve
The factory inspection law was intend
ed to relieve mill men from the exactions
of the ambusnce-c chasing lawyer, and is
found, in the opinion OF able attorneys,
to be fatally defective in that respect
The only benefit of the law in sight Is
the nice job afforded B. F. Huff, who
doubtless can use the salary.
But. the chief glory of Representative
County Commissioner Davis was his
gallant rush to the rescue Of the meek
and lowly clam, which gained for the
statesman the sobriquet of "Clam
George" This act now bids fair to de-
stroy an industry that produces sl00 900 "a
year on Grays Harbor. and work ruin on
the men who have put their money into
the business OF packing clans. The law,
as enacted, makes the close season from
May l to August 81, which packers say
might as well have been made for the
entire Il months.
When this bill was under considera-
ton, the packers were notified, and
asked to appear be ore the fisheries com.
mittee to give their views ss to what
was required to foster the industry.
They appeared, as did the state fish com
missioner, and all, including the COM
mittee, agreed on close season from
June Is to August Is, and, it is said. the
committee so reported the bill. Imagine
the CONSERVATION OF the packers when
they find the law covering four months
instead OF two, for which they were pre-.
pared. and for which arrangements had
been made.
The best fish authorities on Grays
Harbor aver that the clam needs no pro.
lection whatever; that but comparative
ly few of the species find their way to the
exposed sands Of the beach, and that
portion of the beach always covered with
water contains multtudes of clans, rem
dering the supply inexhaustible. How
ever this may be, the packers were will.
ing to concete two months close season
to Clam George, but are simply put out
of business by the four months season.
A strict construction of the law will
make it a penal offense for the beach
hotels to serve clans on the table during
the summer months.
There are four clam packing concerns
in Chehalis county, representing an III.
vestment of 500, 200, the Westport Pack
ing Co., Geo. Scammon, and the Pacific
Packing Co., of Westport, and the Sea
Beach Packing Co., OF Aberdeen. The
Aberdeen concern is the largest in the
business, and will be the most injured
by the law. While the other packers
are located at the beach, the Sea Beach
Co. has to send diggers from A Aberdeen,
and usually commences operations about
March Is. 1t will be impossible to secure
diggers to move down to the beach for
six weeks work in the spring, or to 90
after September I, in the fall.
The Sea Beach Packing Co. has $4,000
invested in Aberdeen, having made
nearly $4,000 worth of Improvements on
their cannery this spring, which Mana
ger Halferty thinks will have to be
abandoned if this law is enforced. This
company came here from Warrenton,
Oregon, where they still have cannery
and residence, and this brilliant legisla-
tive act will in all probability send them
back to Oregon. This cannery employs
about 50 people, and should it be lost to
Grays Harbor through immature states.
mansh!p, the bur len OF The loss will fall
heaviest upon Aberdee .
There is small ray Of hope that the
law will be found detective, or that it
will not be enforced, both OF which
methods of relief are now being investi-
gated. 1t is surmised that the bill was
tampered with after leaving the commit
tee, as none OF the county members, ex-
cept Davis. appearto have any knowledge
of the change made in the close season.