The Ketchikan miner., 1915-01-28
rRou FrIDAY's DAILY
Continued From Last Weeks Weekly
 Mild curing

Mild curing
 Mild curing is a very desirable and popular way of handling the salmon and makes of it most palatable food. The process consists of lightly salting the fish and keeping them at a low temperature until ready for the consumer or for smoking as IS often the method of treatment before they are finally marketed. The mlld curing business has reached consider able proportions and the popularity of the product has extended over two continents. The industry is con fined to the utilization of king salmon and to q small extent cohos.
 In Alaska during the past season there was trouble between the mild curers and the fishermen. It reach ed such proportions in May and June that it threatened to demoralize the entire business. The fishermen charg- ed the mild-curing establishments with refusal to accept large part of their catch. On the other hand. the mild-curers warned the fishermen in many instances that they could not use over three red-meated kings per boat per day, and that If they brought in more they would not be received. This created discomfort and disorder, which resulted in the waste of many thousands of king salmon both red and white meated. In some casec it was proved conclusively that after fishermen had brought their catch to the dock they were offered 30 cents for the red kings under 20 pounds. $1 for reds over 20 pounds. and nothing for the white king salmon To some extent, however, matters were adjusted temporarily and work continued. Of course, this situation must not occur another year.
 There is something to be said on both sides of the controversy. Ire spective of whether the fish caught are of large or small size, the fisher men must not catch more than the total number they are instructed to bring in for each days catch, and on the other hand the fishermen must be assured that all fish brought ill to make up this daily quota will be accepted. The success of fisher mans efforts thus becomes a matter of chance. for his profits will be ill proportion as he catches large fish.
 One of the things that caused great dissatisfaction during the season was the fact that many of the fishermen were instructed to bring in only thre' red kings a day. If all were small it might mean only 90 cents for 2 whole days work. This would en courage them to throw away all smal fish as fast as caught, in anticipation of taking three larger ones thai would bring $1 apice. On the othei hand, the buyers of king salmon must and should take care of both red ane white king salmon. of all sizes brought to them on contract; and i they are not willing to thus utilize the small red-meated fish and a the whites, they should not be allowed to operate.
 AS matter of information. it ma, be well to give an idea of the size of sides obtained from some of tho fish used in mild curing. For exampl, a 25-pound salmon will make two 8 pound sides. and an 1Spound salmon will make two 6-pound sides Side under 6 pounds are not profitable i mild curing and, it is said, will no stand smoking
 The question of cold-storage oper ations applies here, and while it i understood that king salmon unde Is or 20 pounds do not produce side that can be profitably mild cure. there is no sufficient reason why re- kings under that weight, and al white kings, should not be acceptet for freezing purposes. It is impera tive that none of these valuable ifs shall be wasted either by the fisher men or mild curers.
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