The Cordova daily times., 1919-03-13

Alaska will make very serious mis- take if, as has been reported, they at- tempt to cut down operating expenses this coming season by using inferior containers. This coming year pack CTS will have to sefl their fish on their merits, since large lots of Scotch and other foreign cures will again find their way into the market. Certain defects, especially in the curing, were overlooked last season on account of the very heavy demand for the Alaska Scotch cure; but unless the packers are far more careful than last season they will have considerable difficulty ill selling their fish on account of the fact that the inspection will be much more severe than heretofore.
 With the Norwegian and other hard cures, the fish are so heavily salted that dry or leaky barrel does not have a disastrouos effect on the cure; but with the Scotch cure there should be no loose or free salt after the twelfth or fourteenth day of cure, sc that it is absolutely necessary that the barrel be of high grade to hold the pickle, which is really the life of the Scotch-cure herring. Dry or leaky barrels are often the cause of tainted or rusty herring, for which there is no sale. Thinner slaves than those adopted by the bureau of fisheries for the Scotch barrel are decided dfsad- vantage. First of all, the fish are cured much lighter than in any other method thicker stave affords, and secondly, of packing herring, and therefore re- quire more protection from heat, which the journey from the curing station to the regular herring centers is al- most twice as far as from Scotland to New York; making it essential that only the best grades of wood and work manship be used. The barrels are not only handled very much oftener during the trip from Alaska to New York than the imported product, but the handling is very much rougher as we'll.
 Last season some barrels were made to initiate the standard barrel adopted by the United States bureau of fisher ies. The standard barrel was set up originally by the Western Cooperage Company, under instructions of the special representative on Scotch cure of the United States bureau of fisher ies. The barrels made in imitation of the standard barrel were by far too frail; the iron or steel hoops were not alone too narrow but also too light The Eastern trade knows the difference between the various kinds \ of barrels used in the various coun tries; and often when buying fish that are of equal quality, selects the parcel that is packed in the best cooperage. One lot packed in Alaska last year did not pass inspection in Seattle as to selection, cure of fish, etc., but found buyer at slightly reduced price because of being packed in the standard Scotch-style barrels-some- thing the trade demanded in the East.
 Repairing and recoopering barrels that are leaky or otherwise defective are big problems in New York, espe- cially during hot weather, and with coopers or repairmen almost unobtain- able. What one imagines is saved by buying cheaper barrel of inferior grade is more than offset, by heavy cooperage charges when the fish arrive in Seattle, where they must be over hauled again before allowing them to be shipped East. This is big factor, not alone on account of the additional recooperage charges but the delay caused and the additional risk inA volved by keeping the fish exposed to the warm weather. In Scotland most of the barrel-makers burn their names in the bottom of the barrel, and buy CTS of herring, as we'll as regular in- spectors. often look for the name of the barrel manufacturer, especially when herring are intended for cold storage for use, say, six months later Certain buyers will not contract for any herring unless the fish are packed in the standard Scotch-style barrel With the adoption of the proposed her ring inspection system, empty barrels will also have to stand inspection, the same as in Scotland.
 Attention is again directed to the fact that this season the trade will be much more critical with the cured product and packers will surely have gained valuable information from their mistakes of last year, so that the trade looks forward to better cure in gen. eral. Scotch cure packed in domestic C00.nOuud ho Cr irforar~ o,o%nI,