The Alaska daily empire., 1919-03-10
PACKERS MUST BEWARE OF
 BAD COOPERACE
Warns Packers of Herring Against Cutting Expenses by Using h.
 feriOr Containers.
(By Aug. H. D. Klie, Herring Expert, With the United States Bureau
 of Fisheries)

of Fisheries)
 Packers of Scotch cure herring in Alaska will make a very serious mis- take if, as has been reported, they attempt to cut down operating ex. penses this coming season by using inferior containers. This coming year packers will have to sell 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 moro careful than last season, they will have considerable difficulty in 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 a dry or leaky barrel
  the cure; but with the Scotch cure there should be no loose or free salt after the twelfth or fourteenth day of cure, so 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 " the Bureau of Fisheries for the Scotch cure are decided disad- vantage. First of all, the fish are cured much lighter than in any other method of packing herring and there ore require more protection from neat, which a thicker stave affords, md, secondly, the journey from the turing station to the regular herring enters is almost twice as far as rom Scotland to New York, making t essential that only the best grade )f wood and workmanship be used The barrels are not only handled 1ery much oftener during the trip rom Alaska to New York than the imported product but the handling s much rougher as well.
 Last season some barrels were made to initiate the standard barrel ,dopted by the United States Blu eau of Fisheries. The standard bar ,el was set up originally by the Western Cooperage Company, under instructions of the special represen- ative of Scotch cure of the United States Bureau of Fisheries The bar rels made in imitation of the stand ard barrel were by far too frail; he iron or steel hoops were not alone too narrow but also too light The Eastern trade knows the differ .nce between the various kinds oi barrels used in the various coun ries: 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 II | Seattle as to selection, cure of fish | etc. but found buyer at a slightly reduced price because of being pack ed in the standard Scotchstyle bar rels-something the trade demanded in the East.
 Repairing and recoopering barrel. that are leaky or otherwise defec tive are big problems in New York especially during hot weather, ant with coopers or repairmen almos unobtainable What one imagines i saved by buying cheaper barre of inferior goods is more than OH set by heavy cooperage charges whel the fish arrive in Seattle, wher they must again be overhauled be fore allowing them to be shippe' East This is a big factor, no alone on account of the additiona recooperage charges but the della caused and the individual rick ir volved by keeping the fish expose, to the warm weather. In Scotlan most of the barrel-makers burn thei names in the bottom of the barre and buyers of herring, as well a
 regular inspectors, often look fo the name of the barrel manufactul CT, especially when herring are ir tended for cold storage for use, say
 six months later. Certain buyer will not contract for the herrin
 this season unless the fish are pu
 up in the standard Scotch-style bal
 rel. With the adoption of the pro
 posed herring inspection system, en
 pity barrels will also have to stan
 inspection, the same as in Scotland
 Attention is again directed to tn
 fact that this season the trade wi
 be much more critical with the cure
 product and packers will surely hay
 gained valuable information frol
 their mistakes of last year, so ths
 the trade looks forward to bette
 cure in general Scotch cure packe
 in domestic 2OO-pound barrels or il
 ferior Scotch-style barrels will nt
 find prompt sale If cure and qua
 ity are alike. the packer having tf
 best cooperage will be the first
 sell. Improper cooperage and ifs
 packed in other than standard ba
 rels are just causes for rejection