Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-06
FISH TOO COSTLY,
|SBUREAU REPORT
DR.. Smith Inclined to Place
Blame on Shoulders of
the Retailer.
MORE SHOULD BE UTILIZED

| Blame for boosting the retail prices
of fish is placed sQuarely on the shoul-
ders of retail fish dealers in a report
prepared for President Wilson by DR..
Hugh NJ. Smith. chief Of the bureau of
| fisheries. containing a review of the
fish production of the country and its
possibilities as a means of reducing the
| cost of living. The report was made
public today by Secretary Redfield of
| ing permission obtained from the Pres
ident.
| The report states that the fisheries in
dustry of the United States has not
been developed to it's full capacity.
and there are great possibilities ahead
for the government to carry on this
work. provided proper facilities and
sufficient funds are furnished.
| One of the chief needs is a labora-
tory-aquarium in Washington, where
the fisheries experts can make studies
of the various fishes and their useful
ness as foods.
Other Available Fishes.
The development Of the tilefish and
the grayfish as articles Of food is cited
in the report, which also points to the
following fish as furnishing possibili-
ties of development for food purposes:
Skates and rats, whiting, black cod.
grindle, goosef1sh and Alaska herring.
''The general rise in the price of
fish," says DR.. Smith, in his report, "is
due, among other things, to an in
creased export, the higher cost of ma
against stationary supply; but there
is every reason to believe that the
prices of fish to the consumer have
often been higher than were justified
by the prices received by the fisher
men, taking all things into considera-
ton; and it is felt that dealers some
times take undue advantage of the pre-
vailing tendency and are disposed to
charge whatever prices they thing the
consumer may be willing or compelled
to pay.
movement of consumers to eat less of
relatively expensive meat and poultry
and more of relatively cheap fish has
undoubtedly been met by an inordinate
and arbitrary increase in the prices
charged for fish. This is a difficult
matter to set forth in a comprehen-
sive manner by actual figures. especial
the bureau. but certain available data
are at least suggestive.
Discrepancy in Price.
'1t is significant that in the fisheries
centering at the most important fishing
ports on the Atlantic coast. the prices
received by the fishermen for staple,
year-round fish are not commensurate
with the prices subsequently, charged
for the same articles"
The bureau says that the domestic
supply of fish has been slightly below
normal in the current year. but de-
creases in some sources Of supply have
been compensated for by increases in
others. Increases Of exports and i'm
ports are shown. but the net result has
been loss in the supply for consump-
ton in the United States.
While there has been a spontaneous
increase in demand, there has been a
material rise in price larger than the
slight decrease in tbe supply seems to
warrant.
THE consumption Of fish," the report
states further. ''is not one-half what it
should be and may be made, and there
are large areas of the country the
markets of which are practically fish
less. This is due to a lack OF transporta-
tion facilities. inadequate utilization Of
those which exist, defective methods of
handling and packing, lack of enter
prise in establishing new markets and
markets for new products. and igno-
rance Of the consumer concerning the
qualities and availability Of fishes.
Could Double Consumption.
"The supply of fish can be moderate
ly expanded during the next few months
and very materially increased during
next summer, and annually for a num-
Der of years thereafter.
There are available number of un-
utilized and insufficiently utilized sea
foods, reasonably full use of which
would result in an increase of so per
cent in the fish supply. The public
could readily consume double the pres
ent production. IL proper steps were
taken to increase and stimulate the
demand"
The bureau is handicapped in its
work by the lack of laboratory aqua
rum. If 1T were properly equipped
with such ii would be able to add
greatly to the efficiency of it's fish-cul-
turaI operations. and therefore to plant
more food fishes, to make improvements
| in the handling. and, by utilizing by
products, to reduce the cost of pri-
mary food products and to undertake
extensively the introduction of aquatic
foods now neglected or but little used.
II