The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-08-16
Gamers Take Exception
to Officials Figures
Seattle Fishermen Deny Washington, d. c..
Reports Harmful to Northwest Industry


Spirited criticism OF a dispatch re-.
ceiyed Wednesday from Washing.
ton. d. C.. relating 20 salmon con,
ditions In Alaska as described By
the department OF commerce in OF
fetal communications. was voiced
Thursday by prominent salmon
brokers and dealers OF Seattle and
BY :. IL. Gray. editor Of the Pa.
eifio Fisherman.
According 20 department figures,
printed In the dispatch. the salmon
pack in 1854 will be less than half
that Of 1898. This assertion. made
in official messages BY the com.
meree department. Is erroneous. &C,
cording 10 Gray. He says that the
catch viii no doubt be below nor.
NAL in some localities but will be
above in others and the standard
OF other years will be maintained.
GAMERS DENY
COLOR" REPORTS
Gamers, confronted with the pop
ular prejudice against white sal.
mon. were reported 10 be attempt,
ing TO use a harmless eoloring mat.
ter 10 eamouflage the white variety.
Violent exception 20 this depart.
msnt assertion Is taken by Gray
and salmon dealers here. Many OF
them regard the dispatch as re
printed 20 be unfair TO the can
rerymsn, and assert that no such
ruse u being used by anyone In
Alaska.
q. Y Halfsrty. OF Haiterty a Co.
discounted the report from Alaska
that attempts we're being made 20
artifIeially color the cheaper grades
Of ualmon. lie pointed out that
such an action would be in violn.
ton OF the pure food and inter.
state commerce laws as soon as the
FISH were shipped.
The possibility % any shortages
in the catch for 1888 IL declared aa
very remote By p, E. Harris. sal.
mon broker. He says that weather
and climatic changes affect the
runs occasionally but tina, as good
run Il expected this year a. here.
tofofe. The pack In BerinG Sea in
1922 was i.t7t.eoo cases. according
to Editor Gray. and thus far this
year the pack has totaied 100000
cases
PACK LOWER. But
NOT so PER CENT
In n statement issued Thursday.
Mr., Gray said.
The salmon pack % Bsring sea
Is now known 10 - not far from
1850. 900 cases. against i.tfAeeo
eases last year. The maximum pack
In iris district. IN 1919. was 1857
900. The Central Alaska pack can.
not be accurately estimated at this
time. Central Alaska includes the
youth side. from unimak pass 20
Yakutatl This district. however
win be considerably short OF last
year. on ,he other hand. the South.
EAST Alaska pack 70 date Il sar
ahead Of las; years. and probably
viii greatly exceed las; years total.
For the whole OF Alaska. ihs pack
viii. no doubt. be somewhat below
last year. but I, u absurd 10 say
that Il will be 50 Per cent short.
'Bsring sen is the principal sourcs
Of rid salmon IN Alaska. and 'he
shortage there viii mean eonssd-
.rahi. shortage IN that grade
soutteas, Alaska produces mainly
pink salmon, the pack Of which
promises 10 be fairly large. Cen.
trail Alaska produces slightly mor-
reds than pinks. but this Is an Oft
year for pInks in that district.
The Alaska pack as a whole will
undoubtedly be uSch larger than
in 1871. when there was serious
failure
1918 or0TA NOT
GOVERNING FACTOR
The statement that the depart.
rusnt o. commerce regulations limit
the catch TO the 1918 quota is en-.
tireiy erroneous: in fact. the llnlia.
ton In some districts r. on gear. not
on pack: also. Southeast Alaska and
Prince william sound are practical.
" without restriction. Ths state.
rnent MS 70 four.year cycles applies
only TO the species known as rcd
and ehurn salmon. and not very ac-
ourateiy. even then.
''Pinks have t~o-year cycle.
while Kings "a four TO six years
with siI.y.ar fish pre5ominstinz
Any couservatlonists who are
urging a complete closed season for
four years are Of tho extreme radi.
cal type and VIE believe their influ.
ence viii not be great On the other
hand. sane conseryatlonists are high.
" gratified at the restriction policy
adopted by Secretary Hoover and
Endorsed by President Harding in
bis speech AZ Seattle.
PUGET SOUND sOCREYF
Is FAVORED FISH
King salmon Is not the favorite
variety. The highest priced grades
Of salmon are Puget Sound sockcye.
which Is the same species rs Alas.
ka Red. but from particular dis.
,trict: and Columbia River Chinocks,
which are Of the sarne species as
Kings. but also from particular
district. Production OF these is very
limited.
"somewha, lower In price. but
still decidedly high.grada salmon Is
the Alaska Red. the output Of which