The Wrangell sentinel., 1938-03-11

.The canning season of l93S, II there is to be one for Wrangell, will surely be a complicated one," F. s. Barnes, president of the Wrangell Packing Company, said today in response to a query from the Wran- gell Sentinel Many conditions have developed that the canneryman does not ordinarily have to face, he said.
 Probably the most outstanding obstacle, MT. Barnes believes, is the fear of the operators or jurisdiction al disputes between the unions. While the Indutry as a whole rec ognized the A. F. of L. as a bar gaining agency, eond lions change so quickly. it is doubtful in his mind whether any agreements between the salmon Industry and labor will be made until this situation is sat isfactorily settled.
 Situation Grave
 Fortunately" said Mir. Barnes, I've have a very sensible group of people in Wrangell who are very understanding and who are willing to cooperate and work for the mu- tual good of our community. Natur- ally. there are some who doubt that the position of the canneryman is actually as bad as is claimed, but if facts were fully understood, he declared, mo one would doubt the gravity of the situatiOu.''
 Wrangell is more directly affected in the present crisis than any other town in Southeastern Alaska with the possible exception of Sitka. This is because the local canneries de- pend to so great a degree upon sein- CTS for their raw material. There are less than 15 canneries in South eastern Alaska that must depend upon seiners for at least 60 per cent of their pack. The remainder of the canneries have successful traps that would produce enough fish for quite satisfactory pack even if they did not purchase a single seine fish.
 Prices Declining
 Regarding the market situation MT. Barnes stated that as commod- ity prices in general and meat prices in particular are steadily declining. it seems natural that there is but one thing to do with canned salmon and that is to place It on the same level as other food prices and dis pose of it as quickly as possible.
 fn1r col trrbiah listed last fall for $1.25 per dozen has now been stabilized at S1.15. MT. Barnes pointed out that the price of Quality pinks is the base price of all salmon packed in Southeastern Alaska and in explanation stated that the term designates pink salmon canned from fish caught in trapsI and from seine fish caught in deepI water offshore or among the trapI locations
 Next in value is what is known as Standard pink salmon which sell for five cents per dozen less than the Quality pinks. They are seine fish caught in inside waters which show what is known as water marks. Very pale and highly water marked pink salmon are canned as pale pinks and sold at the chum salmon price levels. ]
 It is generally conceded, says MT. Barnes, that price levels will be considerably lower when the next pack comes on the market, therefore it is up to the salmon packer to either arrange his costs to meet the situation or leave his plant closed down until such time as conditions adjust themselves.
 Costs Not Equal
 It is hard, he declares, for the Southeastern Alaska canneries de- pendent on seine-caught fish to cut down costs. Grant, he says, that ev- cry item making up the cost of canned salmon is cut except the actual cost of raw fish, labor, trans portation, etc, it does not follow that every packer in Alaska would be placed on the same cost basis for the advantage is with the trap fish