The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-08-14

son. The run Of spawning fish cannot
well he discontinued IL has been sieadI.
II cumulative for Two weeks past and
perhaps not yet reached II. zenith
Starting at the extreme northern limit
in the waters Of British Columbia We
learn that already the packers have
run out OF rp,- at Rivers Inlet andsl,ella
Coola, although prer.s s'icns had been
made at each place for ,taOOO case
pack. They vii: ''le is ont
lput Alert Bay, .,-~.l e--... al. bad
IT, full quota sson after the run stah 'ed.
The Skeena River cannefies are nov
over the 100000 ease mark with. the
Mas run still in prospect. There is at
this writing a large insrease in boat
returns on the Fraser river and the
Canadian canneries at the estuary are
beginning 10 hum with activity, Down
the Gulf Of Georgia the Whatcom.Fair.
haven plants are taking in large quanti-
ties Of salmon and Tie big traps Of the
Pacific American Fishing company are
well filled at every lift, although able
to accommodate more than they are get.
ting. Anacortes eanneries are still run.
ming on an average output Of 4,2OO eases
per day, but lot Of salmon IL being
diverted 10 the northern plants. The run
il reported as increased both from Bel.
linghnm and Tacoma, Wash, and there
are more salmon than ever now crowd.
ing the traps OF the southern coast Of
Vancouver island, coming in direct from
the sea. The new cannery at Esqui.
mault Is going 10 have bumper pack.
Fish Commissioner Kershaw says: "The
outlook for scckeye pack in the Puget
Sound j. good" He does not predict u
pack equal 70 1901, but places estimate
at about so per cent, or 600.0O0 cases
Of sockcycs. The year viii be successful
for packers. he says, because they are
now packing more of other varieties
than in 1901. He believes the value OF
the output will be equal to 1901. The
reason for the falling of Of the sockeye
run. as compared with that OF 1901, is
ascribed by Mr. Kershaw TO the opera.
tion and existence Of the dam in the
Quisnel river, in British Columbia, in
1901. The dam cut off about three.
fourths Of the spawning grounds in the
Fraser river, and as the fish return to
the ground where they spawned at the
end Of four years, II is his theory that
that run cannot be equal this year to
the run in the last cycle year.
The market on sockeyes still waits
on further developments and opening
price has not yet been disclosed. II is
estimated that SIPS, coast, will be the
outside limit for anything approximat.
ing half million case pack on this
side Of the line and the strongest fnan.
eial arrangements have been made for
control Of the output.
Red Alaska opened as such an extreme
concession that il can be but little
affected by the outcome save that a
small pack of sockeyes would strengthen
it, position directly, as would large
surplus held at firm figures indirectly,
Alaskan chums are practically sold out
at 65 cents. Market now is 10 cents and
more buyers than sellers. The pin
market is rs cents for future delivery,
the same price at which the remaining
spots are held.
With less than month in all proba-
bility to complete operations for the
season the Gamers on the Columbia are |
making up trine for lost initial vc.
locity at the outset of the season. The
run Is slightly improved and the Wash,
ngton Fish Commissioner expresses the
belief that the value of the output win |
be greatly in excess of the year 1904,
when II reached total of $l,S95S20 for
Lhe Washington side Of the river The
Increase he believes viii not be so much |
n the number of cases packed as in the
amount of fish shipped, saltcd and
smoked. In 1904, the Columbia river
district in Washington packed lI9,slS
'ase, while 4,sS40OO pounds were salt
ID, smoked, shipped fresh and consumed
ocally,
The price for fsh on the Columbia,
'ays an exchange, Is about the same as
asst week, some Of the canneries paying
Is high as six cents. The salmon caught |
run nearly two.thirds large, or 25 pounds
md over, Steelheads are coming in and
bring 5 cents a pound and average Q
10 10 pounds and are of excellent quail.