The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 31, 1940, Page 13

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” PROGRESS AND DEVELOP. MENT EDITION THREAT OF JAPANESE FISHERIES INCURSION “ REMAINS, SAYS ALLEN By EDWARD W. ALLEN ternational Fisheries ion and International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission Japan's threat to the permanency of Alaska’s basic industry, the fish- eries, aroused not only Alaskans but all people in the United States who understood the situation. Many | people, however, even some in high | official places, did not realize how | serious was the threat. Danger to- | day lurks in the belief, altogether too prevalent, that the matter has | been settled. It has not. The recent termination of the trade treaty between Japan and this country has made many Easterners conscious that international prob- lems are not confined to the At- CANNERYMEN T0 ACT JOINTLY IN LABORRELATIONS Alaska Salmon Industry ls Incorporated fo Do Negotiating During the past several months, salmon canners whose companies produce more than 90 per cent of; the total pack of canned salmon; have formed a new association to| carry out the industry’s labor ne-| gotiations and relations with or-| ganized labor. This organization, incorporated as the Alaska Salmon Industry, Inc, is now carrying on negotia- tions with several of the labor un-| jons involved in the industry to cover the 1940 season. E. M. Brennan of Haines Packing | Company is president of the new | association. A. W. Wittig of Shep-| ard Point Packing Company is First | lantic. But great ignorance still prevails as to the problems of the Pacific. Every American on the Pa- | cific Coast should acquaint himself | with the details of the situation and then impress upon public of- | ficials and Eastern friends the nec- | essity for a strong and intelligent stand by our Government. Japanese ambitions threaten the pocketbook and the safety of every- one. At the same time that a few people in this country are private- ly profiting by selling war mater- |ials to Japan with which Japan is enabled to continue her policy of military aggression, the taxpayers of this country are being called upon for hundreds of millions of dollars to build up our army and naval de- fenses against Japan. Alaskans Concerned To Alaskans there is an additional cause for concern. Fisheries mean more to Alaska from the standpints of employment, tax revenue, and general business than all its other industries. Moreover, fisheries have certain advantages over most in- dustries. About all that is neces- sary in order to have a satisfactory recurrent crop year after year is to show a reasonable amount of self- vestraint. It can be proved easily to any fisherman or other person who wishes to be informed that by al- lowing necessary escapement of spawning fish, more fish can be caught and with less effort than when the fishing is excessive. Fish require no cultivation as do agri- | cultural products. A fishery reas- onably conducted is not exhaustible as is a mine. And the Japanese are threatening the permanency of this great Alaska industry. Millions For Conservation In the United States and Canada millions of dollars have been spent to restore fisheries which have be- come depleted. Splendid results have been obtained and these two coun- tries separately and jointly are com-~ mitted to sound doctrines of fishery regulation. If not interfered with JUNEAU, ALASKA, SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1940. THIRD SECTION PAGES 1 TO 8 CANNED SALMON QUALITY OF PACKBETTER S e e ] Among other things, the accom- plishments of the International Fisheries' Commission and the pros- “EVERYYEAR pects of the International Pacific Inspection ‘Service Main- Salmon Fisheries Commission are at stake. | fained fo Examine Canned Salmon No Regulation Japan has contenaed that its ves- sels are entitled to fish off our | coasts providing they remain at least | Efforts of fishermen, cannery su- three miles off shore. Japanese fish- | perintendents and employees, and ermen do not observe the conserva- |packers to improve the quality of tion methods required of United|Alaska’s canned salmon pack are States and Canadian fishermen. readily apparent in the finished pro- Consequently, should the Japanese duct, which averages much better be allowed to carry out their plans|today than it did 10 or 15 years ago, to carry on unrestricted fishing ad-|Dr. R. W. Clough of the National Jjacent to our coasts, they could well Canners Association, Northwest make useless the sound regulatory | Branch, declares. measures adopted by the United| py clough's organization con- States and Canada. Should the|quets the inspection service which Japanese be permitted to do this|eyvamines the major portion of Al- it would be unjust to our nshenpen |aska’s salmon pack each year. The to enforce the restrictions against|National Canners Association in- them, and many fisheries would be | snection of the 1939 pask covered commercially destroyed in & ShOrt|more than four million cases. More ume. | than 21,000 code lots of canned sal- Moreover, the standard of living mon were examined. of Japanese fishermen is so much| “The results of this inspection lower than that of ours that di- | show that as far as those conditions rect competition in the same field | which are within the power of the of operation would certainly have human element in salmon canning an injurious effect upon our fish-|to control, the 1939 pack was su- ermen. | perior to that of any previous year,” Temporary Understanding Dr. Glough ks, : When the mather gotlie o Ailisnd| “A Ftendy yesr by year fmproves in 1937, our State Department was ment in the workmanship, filling, Ttaa m do two things, first, muremnd other quality factors which can sogle immediate relief from the ten- |D¢ controlled has been noticeable :sion SRord. Wotk oubIh permanenfldurmg the seven years in which we solution. The Department is en- YO CAIRiRd T Da titled to commendation for securmg‘tmn J Natural Conditions Important a temporary understanding with Ja-| 1 o cing the qualtiy of canned pan by which the floating salmon . salmon, Dr. Clough pointed out that canneries were withdrawn. But the some of the factors are beyond the agreement is only temporary in na- o ability of man to control. He stated tpre, and Japan cnre(u]}y Felubed to that }various natural conditions af- give up puy of bett (i, fect the color, oil content, and tex- Although in 1988 and 1939 some tyre of the salmon. Japanese fishing . vessels entered| .. . | “Every year it grows more m- Bristol Bay, probably for the purpose portant that all precautions possible |content and the vitamin stability or Vice President, and A. K. ATlchengl‘iby alien invasion it is confidently of Alaska Packers Association is!pelieved that those Pacfiic Coast Second Vice President. A. I. Ells- worth is Secretary-Treasurer. A board of 21 Directors represents all , producing districts in Alaska. | Henry Van Hoevenburg was re-} cently appointed Manager. Van| Hoevenburg recently said that this| organization, which would carry on the negotiation of contracts cover- ing the industry was a natural evo- | lutionary step in collective bar- | gaining. To Cultivate Understanding In outlining the functions of the new organization, Pacific Fisherman recently said: “Fundamental objec- tive of this movement is to cultivate a better mutual understanding be- tween the packers and organized employees as to this industry’s labor problems, with the aim of stabiliz- ing its operations on a practical and equitable basis and providing regu- lar employment to the usual per- sonnel at rates of remuneration which will be fair to all “More specifically, the aims are: (1) To develop forward-looking la- bor policies and carry out a long- term program designed to avoid la- bor disputes before they result in disruption of the industry; to pro- mote confidence and cooperation be- tween employees, fishermen and management to the end that nego- tiations be conducted in good faith and, in the common interest, and that differences be adjusted on their merits; to develop a better under- standing of the industry’s labor problems on the part of allied in- terests and the public. Sucha con- structive program. leading toward the uninterrupted operation of the industry and the best interests of employees, packers, distributors and consumers, is held to be required by the public welfare. “(2) 'To represent the members of the Alaska Salmon Industry, Inc., as a unit in the negotiation and execution of contracts with fisher- men, employees and unions, recog- nizing the fact that collective bar- gaining is an actuality, and the industry has no choice but to or- ganize to conduct such bargaining in behalf of the common interest. “(3) Enforcement of contracts on both parties is equally import- ant to both parties and to the public welfare, and a unified program of action is necessary to protect the industry and individual packers from discrimination, economic pressure and stoppages of work. “(4) To set up and administer appropriate machinery for the mak- ing and interpretation of contracts and settlement of disputes arising thereunder. - “(5) To assemble and compile factual data as a basis for negouia- tion of contracts, settlement of dis- putes, and presentation of facts to the public, to the end that facts rather than emotional opinions may govern,” fisheries which are depleted will gradually be restored and all fish- eries be maintained in healthy con- dition. Some of the most important of these Pacific Coast fisheries, such as the salmon, halibut, cod, pilchard and tuna, extend more than three miles off shore. Even those parts of these fisheries which are con- ducted close to shore may be di- rectly affected by operations far- ther out. Although this has been shown to be particularly true as to the red salmon of Bristol Bay, it is not at all confined to that fishery as some people have mistakenly be- of bolstering Japan's claims in any | future dispute, and then withdrew,},ty of Alaska canned salmon,” he| it is unlikely that Japan will raise the issue while its hands are full in China. But now while Japan is thus occupied would seem to be a favor- able time for the United States to be taken to safeguard the high qual- | |said. “With the volume of canned | fish produced at low cost in other | localities competing with salmon for | a market, it is especially important that our quality be of the best. “There was a time when canned salmon of the cheaper varieties found a ready market in the sou'.h‘ as it was one of the cheapest pro-| tein foods. This situation no longer holds true. Canned mackerel and sardines are selling at prices below | Alaska chum salmon, and they have | taken over the cheap price market. “Our canned salmon must be sold | as a quality product. That fact| makes quality, and carefulness i press for a permanent recognition of our right to protect our coastal fisheries regardless of the distance from shore required in order to make such protection effective. B 2 Deep sea fishes sometimes “fall pp” into lighter pressure areas and are unable to get back down again due to expansion of air bladders. This also accounts for the pop-eyed appearance of deep sea fish when lieved. The entire coast is involved. ALL EDIBLE OILS BRING IT ALL~ “¢66s 10 [} arries” /) SOURCE OF VITAMIN D THERE 15 A LARGER TOTAL QUANTITY OF THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN CONSUMED IN THE FORM OF CANNED SALMON THAN IN ANY OTHER FOOD- INCLUDING packing, our most important asset R AMERICAN CAN COMPANY HELPS SELL SALMON Advertising, Educational| Campaign Conducted fo Promote Product 01’1(- of the firms affiliated with | Alaska's salmon canning industry which has carried on for several years an extensive advertising and educational campaign to help the industry sell more canned salmon is the American Can Company. Through home economics work with schools and consumers and EANYHOW I | through advertising to grocers, this o MZ:’,%Z; 121,,’/555 , [} |organization has helped to spread e e | dietetic and health information to 1womcn and selling suggestions to grocers that augment in a valuable | way the salmon industry’s own ad- | vertising program, | One method by which the com- brought to the surface. = -~ THE ROMAN EQUIVALENT T0 OUR FROM SOUP T0 NUTS™ WAS “FROM £GGS T0 APPLES o e RN i MEN OPERATING SALMON TENDERS IN ALASKA —. - - COMMUNICATE WITH THE CANNERY BY MEANS OF RADIO PHONES. HENCE, THE CANNERY AVOIDS AN OVER CAPACITY OF FISH FAMOUS GOURMETS OF HISTORY RABELAIS WAS AN ADVOCATE OF GOOD BREAKFAST FOR EFFICIENCY. “BREAKFAST MAKES GOOD MEMORY."” | pany publicizes canned salmon in schools, colleges and community or- ganizations is “Alaska’s Silver Mil- |lions,” a sound film on Alaska and |the salmon industry. An average of over 2% million people a year have seen this film, Besides the film, the company has also published a booklet. The Story of Salmon, which gives the history and life story of salmon. It includes health and nutritional information on salmon and a num- ber of recipes for home use. This booklet which was first published in 1936 has now reached a total dis- tribution of over 1,500,000 copies. LRI o e THE SALMON 15 ONE OF THE FEW VARIETIES OF FISH THAT NEVER SLEEP oy st : — Dog fish, a species of the shark family, get their name from the fact that they hunt in packs. Dog fish are common in the vicinity of HE SAID, | ference between the two oils in the | vitamin D content is held to be not VITAMIN STUDY - UNDER WAY IN CHEMICAL LAB ‘Keeping Oigfiiy' of Can- ned Salmon Among Factors Probed Scientific studies into the vitamin “keeping quality” of vitamins con- tained in canned salmon are being carried on in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Washington. These studies are being carried on by Dr. Louis Fischer, Assistant Pro- fessor of Pharmacy and Arthur W. Steers, a graduate student who is also holder of the Fairchild Scholar- ship in Pharmacy. Using an experimental pack put up for the purpose by the North- west Branch of the National Can- ners Association, these two scien- tists are now in the second year of a planned three year study of the vitamin characteristics of canned salmon. Vitamin D Discovery Their leading discovery to date, which was published last summer in a report to the American Pharma- ceutical Association, relates to the high vitamin D content of salmon oil This vitamin is rarely found in food- stuffs. The human system depends largely upon sunshine and on vita- min tablets, cod liver oil, and such specialty preparations for its supply of this needed vitamin. Dr. Pischer and Steers discov- ered that the free oil from canned salmon contains 80 units of vitamin D. This compares very favorably with cod liver oil. In fact the dif- significant. The study has also demonstrated that while canned salmon does not compare with cod liver oil as a source of vitamin A, it is a worth while source of this vitamin as well. Since salmon frequently has been in cans for from one to two years by the time it reaches the consum- er's table, the two scientists are conducting their studies of the vita- min keeping qualities over a three year period. They expect to determine whether Can of Saimér; Found To canned salmon loses any of its vita- min potency while it is in storage and to measure any loss that may take place. Interesting Methods Methods used in making the tests for the study are extremely inter- esting. The salmon for the experi- mental pack were taken from a| commercial catch of salmon in ocean | waters near -the salmon banks lo- cated off San Juan Islands in Pu-| get Sound. Great care was taken in marking ' the sample 'cans so that it is possible to identify each | individual fish pecked from the cans, In making up the samples of oil | from the canned salmon, the re- search men take oil representative of the entire fish in each test. For each sample of salmon oil used in the feeding tests, oil from fifty cans representing the entire edible portion of ten salmon are used. . e T 100 HOMES BEING BUILT AT KODIAK Ground was broken recently at Kodiak for construction of the first units in a 100-home building project, . The néw homes are being put up in the rapidly growing Westward salmon canneries during canning season, . Alaska community by W. J. Er- skine, local merchant, F ishifig Is Alaska’s Léfeblood V 'Every‘ Alaska port presents a view such as this—fishing vessels crowded together await- ing fair weather and the open season to garner the Territory’s greatest resource. Be Standard Pantry Item In Most American Homes Two surveys conducted during the past year show wide popularity of canned salmon throughout the United States. One of the surveys was made in 16 metropolitan cen- ters of the nation, while the other presented a cross section picture of middle western farm family fish eating habits While these two surveys varied in type and in the nature of the study, they proved canned salmon to be the most widely used canned fish in most American homes. The survey of metropolitan fam- ilies counted only those homes in which canned salmon was actually found on the pantry shelf. The survey covered 53,130 homes, and canned salmon was found in ap- proximately two out’ of every seven pantries, In the farm family survey, house- wives were asked whether or not they served fish regularly, and if so what kinds of fish they used. Salmon Most Popuiar This study showed that canned salmon is the most popular fish item among farm families, with 94 per cent of the farm house- wives reporting that they served this fish. The metropolitan home panty in- ventory is broken down by individ- ual cities. Of the 26 cities in which the inventory was taken, Birming- ham, Alabama, showed the highest use of canned salmon of any of the cities investigated. Of the 2,835 Birmingham homes examined, 1,050 or 36.8 per cent had canned salmon on hand. Pittsburgh and Wash- THE HAIDA INDIANS OF ALASKA, NOW ALMOST EXTINCT, BROUGHT SALMON FISHING TO A FINE ART LONG BEFORE THE WHITE MAN CAME TO THIS COUNTRY. HARVEST OF SALMON IS PACKED FOR FACTURED AT THE RATE OF 300 MINUTE. IN THE OLD DAYS,THEY WERE MADE BY A TINSMITH WHO COULD PRODUCE ONLY A FEW DOZEN A DAY, LEE THE WORLD'S MARKETS ARE mw-fii‘;:z[/ i T (4 A= ington, D. C., tied for second place with 35.3 per cent of the homes having a suppiy vt unis canned fish. San Francisco, California, center of a busy fresh fish and sea food industry, was the lowest city studied so far as number of homes having canned salmon on their pantry shelves is concerned. Only 733 of the 4,234 homes examined boasted a can of salmon among their food supplies. The average city proved to be { Columbus, Ohio. Columbus was ninth from the top in the list of 16 cities. The percentage of homes hav- ing salmon available in the home was 28.3, which most closely paral- led the average of 28.7 per cent for |all cities studied. One Pound Average An interesting point in connection with supplies of canned salmon available was the fact that in all cities studied, the amount of sal- mon on hand was virtually uniform at approximately one pound. The average amount for all 16 cities was 101 cans. The lowest average for any city was 100 can, while the highest average figure for any city was 1.02 cans. In the 94 per cent of the farm homes where salmon is served reg- ularly, 28 per cent serve a canned salmon dish once a week. Nearly three fourths of the farm families enjoy canned salmon from one to four times.a month. The average number of times canned salmon is served in these farm homes is three and a half times a month. oob FcTs~FonLey THE MINERALS WHICH MAKE CANNED SALMON A PARTICULARLY GOOD /SOURCE OF MINERALS FOR EVERY "DAY DIETS ARE THE RESULT OF THE DEEP-SEA DIETS ON WHICH SALMON FEED DURING THEIR YEARS OF MATURITY. THEY ARE LITERALLY MINES OF DEEP SEA CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND 10DINE. SENCREmTST Ad— . = o nanric ure sToRy \oF HE SALMON APPEARS IN ONE OF pa ——, cANS ERICA'S BEST SELLERS, | @'—ffigmn THE SALMON." n FAMOUS GOURMETS OF HISTORY KWA-MA-ROLAS, ONE OF THE ARISTOCRATIC CHIEFTAINS OF THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, WAS SO FOND OF HIS NATIVE ALASKA SALMON THAT HE HAD A MAGIFICENT CEREMONIAL PLATTER OF ONYX CARVED IN THE SHAPE OF A SALMON T0 BE USED AT ALL CEREMONIAL FEASTS. Salmon No.1Resource Of North TERRITORY'S TAXES PAID ~ BYINDUSTRY Alaskan Cam Product Is Worth from 35 fo 45 Millions Yearly Every Spring, along the headwa- | ters of Alaskan streams or the shal- low edges of Alaskan lakes, the sun sets in motion a force that ulti- mately pays the cost of operating Alaska's schools, supports in a large |part the transportation services |serving Alaska, supports thousands of Alaska citizens. In the Spring, the sun hatches millions of salmon eggs that have been buried in the gravel beds months before. Some of the baby salmon thus hatched—actually but a small part of the total—survive the many perils that threaten them before they go into the ocean. In the Summer months, from two to five years after hatching, those that have survived come home. During these ‘Summer months, the salmon canneries and fishermen an- nually pack a product valued at from $35 million to $45 miliion. The industry that produces unis healthful and nutritious sea food— Alaska canned salmon—for the din- ner tables of the world, is one of Alaska’s most valued. Tax Payments High Every year, this industry pays taxes to the Territorial Government and the Federal Government that amount to about three-quarters of the total revenues for Government in Alaska. Much of this money is spent to support schools. Some of it helped bulld roads. Some of it pays the salaries of Government, workers throughout the Territory. Taxes are only & fraction of the money that the salmon brings to Alaska once he is put into cans and sent out to get the money from consumers in all parts of the world. Much of this money is paid to fishermen for the fish to put into cans. } More is pald to cannery labor and others who are employed in the sal- mon canning industry. A large part of the money is spent for needed supplies to keep the fish- ing boats and canneries operating. Lumber mills, coal mines, steam- ship lines, merchants, wire netting manufacturing plants and other business houses derive a large share of their income from money that is paid by consumers for Alaska's canned salmon. Ten Million Spent Here 1t is estimated that the salmon in- dustry annually expends about ten million dollars in Alaska. These dol- lars quickly become the lifeblood of commerce in most of the cities of the Territory. The salmon from Alaska's waters also help to support many indus- tries on the Outside. A large share of the price the consumer pays for salmon is the cost of getting the salmon to market. Selling costs, freight charges by boat or rail, costs of printing labels and many other supplementary costs are included here. In addition to the firms engaged in distributing the salmon, many manufacturers are dependent upon the fishermen and the canneries as customers for their products. Many of the supplies needed to keep the salmon industry going must come from far distant points, and the final canned salmon pro- duct must pay the cost of this. Tinplate for cans from Pennsyl- vania, oil and gasoline from Cali- fornia or Pennsylvania, radio equip~ ment from New York. nets from New England, and foodstuffs from virtually every section of the coun- try are examples of the diversity of supplies needed to help produce the annual salmon pack. |NEW DIRECTOR FOR ARRC ON JOB IN VALLEY Early this year a new Director of the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation at Matanuska was ap- pointed to succeed Ross L. Sheely, resigned. The new chief, who will serve principally as a collector for the ARRC while turning its main busi- ness over to the new cooperative, is Dr. Herbert C. Hanson, recently of Fargo, North Dakota, where he was Vice Director of the Agricul- tural Experiment Station.