The Cordova daily times., 1921-08-08
MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1921
PROTECTION FOR ALASKA FISH

The Fordney tariff bill, as it passed the house of representatives, gives the fisheries of Alaska considerable protection and ought to he helpful to several phases of the industry in this territory. Herring and codfsh, the pack ing of which has been unprofitabe in Alaska on account of the inability of Northern packers to compete with Scotch and Norwegian herring or Japanese cod, are both protected. There is also protection for Alaska crabment, which has suffered an account of Oriental competition. While it may require rulings to make clear the application of the salmon duties, it would seem that fresh or river salmon, prepared in Prince Rupert or Vancouver, would have to pay an American tariff charge of one cent pound at least.
 The duty on herring s 3-4 cents pound. That on codfsh iS 1 }-4 cents a pound for the dried variety and -+ cents pound for green or saItcd fish. Crabmeat carries a 26 per per cent ad valorcm duty and fimnan haddc ? per cent.
 These specific duties are on the weight of the barrels, crates or other packing and the saIt brine ice, etc, as we'll as that of the fish, This would make the duty on herring approximately $ barrel and largely increase the one cent a pound duty on iced salmon.
 Whether or not the new tariff would compel the Prince Rupert fish buyers to come to Ketch- ilan to buy and pack their fish at that place would probably be matter of figuring on the part of the Canadian transportation companies
 The Pacific Fisherman, commenting upon the new tariff bill, says:
 ''Thr fisheries have farrd by no means badly in the proposed tariff measure. Tn" duties are not such as to relieve them from foreign competition, but will give them, under good management, chance to hold their owIr. If these rates are adopted it is at least possible to hope that such Alaska industries as the can ing of codfiSh and herring, and the canning of cri,bmv1t. may b. established on permanent basis.
 "Fho general imposition of d duty of cent per pound, on fresh, frozen or iced fish twill have a decided effect on the Pacific fresh fish trade particularly in connection with the inn poralion of hIaibut and salmon from British Columbia. This duty is evidently applicable to salmon for canning. as well as other fish, al- though herring and tuna, whether for packing or not, are specifically excepted.
 lowing to the serious European compcti- ton met by the Alaska herring industry, pro lection for this item is of special importance to the Pacific coast The duty is 3-4 cents grant ed on this item is less than was desired by Pa cifc coast interests, but more than the eastern fisheries originally asked. As it covers gross weight of barrels and brine it will amount to nearly $500 per barrel, which will cover the greater part, though not all, of the freight diff ferential in favor of Europe.
 Probably next in importance is codfsh, which has been meeting with ruinous competition from the Orient for several years. This is not specifically mentioned, but green salted codfish in bulk, which has constituted most of the imports on the Pacific side, would come un- der general clause establishing duty of 1 1-4 cents a pound, while dry-cured codfish and stockfsh would take duty of 1 3-4 cents per pound. Pacific codfish operators have asked for duty of cents per pound, and some have declared that the industry could not survive unless given this protection; but others believe