The Seattle Star Newspaper, September 15, 1917, Page 23

By Stedman H. Gray rf Pacific erman roo 4 The fiahe centering at Seattle form one of the great underlying Industries on which fare founded the prosperity and material well being of the en- tire community. The needs of the fisheries give employment to many times the number engaged In the in- dustry itself. The vast bual- ness of transportation, great te for the manufacture of cane and boxes, shipyards and engine works, and a host of jed in the production bution of miscel- supplies, are in large measure directly dependent on the fisheri while indirectly the returns are shared by every member of the community. The fisheries of the state of Washington rank third tn im f|Ance of the Industries of the fs valued at approximately $ 000. The industry tributa Bttle, however, includes Yast fisheries of Alaska, which are Fapidly becoming the most {mport- Ant in the world. The Alaska fish- ies NOW represent an investment ff some $40,000,000, and furnish ‘employment in actual fishing and Packing operations to 24,000 per. sons. r A $13,000,000 Year ‘The salmon fishery, with salmon fanning as the leading branch, is ‘dm every way the most important @epartment of the industry, repre- Benting nearly 9¢ per cent of the total investment in both Washing- Over 60 salmon canneries, valued at about $6,000,- ton and Alaska. 000, are operating in the Puget Sound and Washington Coast dis- tricts directly tributary to Seattle; and these plants this year are tak- fing the catch of over 400 purse Beiners. The average value of a Purse seine boat and outfit is Mearly $7,900, making a total of early $2,800,000 for the fleet. Most of the boats are owned by individ- @al fishermen, and each carries a crew of eight men. The total out put of the sound canneries tn 1913 their best year so far, was valued at nearly $13,000,000 The salmon canning industry of! Alaska in 1916 represented a total investment of $34,100,853; ery accounted for $860,000 more; he cannery output alone reaching value of $23,269,429. The num- of persons directly employed fm Alaska was 19,240, not counting the forces required for accounting, handling and conditioning the sal Mon, etc., at Seattle. Sreater part of this output is land ed at this port; employes make their permanent homes in this district, and Seattle fs the principal outfitting point and pply depot. ae in importance to salmon is K sition against strong Canadian com petition. Tho halibut fleet reg- ularly selling at Seattle includes some 90 independent power schoon ers, the minimum value of an outfit being not less than $7,600; besides a doren steamers Randiing up to 400,000 Ibs, of fish, T 8 last year landed at Seattle 446 Ibs, of haltbut, valued at ap proximately $2,000,000 Along with the halibut was land- ed some 2,250,000 Ibs, of sadle fish, which, owing to the publicity work of the U, 8, bureau of fisheries, has gained great popularity, and is now arriving in about as great Quantities as halibut, tho sold at a much lower price. Other fish brought in by the halibut boats, tn cluding ling cod and red rockfish, What Washington Produces Aplenty Washington more the expectations of th government in tnere duction, The 1917 har show up even better than the following 1916 table Corn, bu Wheat, bu Oats, bu Harley, bu... Rye, bu Potatoes, bu Apples, 1,406,000 6,814,000 102,000 STAR—SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, 1917. Fisheries in Washington Waters Alone Valued — at $20, 000,000; Fish Salting Big Future Item: Alaska gold rush began ftsheavy run of business, the total receipts) amounted to $268,370,864.61. Roses bloom the year round fn | Seattle | Seattle owns {ts water system, J owns a lighting plant, and collects) } its own garbage. | LEHMAN | 000,000 | which Is carried on very extensive: ;}a@ substantial gain this year; and while other branches of the salmon fish- By far the most of the white are also assuming some commer elal importance, The total invest ment in the Seattle fresh fish in dustry, embracing halibut, sable fish, etc, is estimated at over $5 BROS. FLOUR AKO CRAIN } $11,193,413 Taken | in by Assay Office; Seattle's assay office receipts have been approximately $10,000,000 ® yoar for the past few years, tho for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, the total ran up to $11,198, 451.39. The record year was in 1901, when the receipts totaled $23, 000,000, Since the establishment of} the assay office, fa 1898, when the Farm Land $40.00 an acre in the raw, CHOICE, LEVEL LAND IN FAMOUS LEWIS COUNTY, on the main double-track line half way between SEATTLE and PORTLAND, the N. P., the G. N. and the U. P. system, with its 16 passenger trains daily. This level bench land lies between Napavine, on the rail- road, and the PACIFIC HIGHWAY, ; about 90 miles from Seattle or Port Closely allied with the fresh fish trade is the freezing industry, ly In Seattle, The total amount of fish fro in thi istrict last year of which 5,380, 000 Ibs. was salmon, 2,234,000 Ibs halfbut and 1,345,000 Ibs. sablefish Almost as much more was frozen in Alaska, a large part of this aleo being handled thru Seattle. Frozen herring for bait is also worth con ng, as nearly 2,000,000 Ibs rozen,last year for the use of the halibut fleet. The cod fishing industry makes | an important contribution to the | life of the community, the Puget | Sound fleet of eight vessels having | brought in 400 fish Inst year. } The fleet now being increased, | and with a marked expansion of the market an important increase in output is expected. The Puget Sound shellfish indus. try has recently been an important source of revenue. The annual) oyster output of Vashington | waters, mainly tribut pattie, | ‘orth about $1,000,000, Last! 3 year’s pack of canned clams, in of the railroad j cluding @ small Alaska output han land, with the lowest. freight rates to the largest | dled thru this port, was over 48,000 / : : rg cases, valued at about $200,000, markets in the state. THE CHARACTER of the This industry is expected to show soil and the LOCATION on the main li { travel between the big Northwest centers of POPULA- lieaw ia autanal Gis eeaiedl TION, MARK THIS LAND for high values in the ne or vainly | ‘ o > , - oa ka, but the business is near future. NO FAMILY LOOKING FOR A jlargely handled at Seattle. The HOME in the cor f securi | ME in the country as a means of securing a salt salmon pack has reached as! " y * ; ‘ & competence and desirable home will make a mistake high as 37,000 bbie., and the value! in buying a tract of this land, 3 miles east large quantities of Washington jelama are also marketed fresh. | as high as $305,000 for a season; but no large output is expected this year. The production of Alas- ka salt herring, on the other hand, has received a great Impetus from curtailment of Imports and intro-| duction of improved curing meth The product is In strong de mand and the Industry has un doubtediy @ great ft herring has been han thru Seattle in the p. but large quantities have been diverted this! year, and considerable enterprise) FOR CIRCULARS AND FULL INFORMATION WRITE TO David P. Eastman 1308 Third Avenue, Seattle. 18 years in the busine ‘the halibut fishery, in which Seat-| will be necessary if this city is to te is maintaining an important po- hold its own in this department. t Our / r Annual Report and Some Cc PAGE 23 Seattle’s Busiest Business District IS CENTERED IN The Metropolitan Buildings The Cobb The White, The Henry, The Stuart, AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC PURPOSE The Metropolitan Building Co. 115 WHITE BUILDING MAIN 4984, HALLS FOR RENT With Seating Capacity for Large or Small Meeting Purposes AND ARRANGED, LIGHTED and VENTILATED Seattle , ‘Aaditotan Company W. T. DOUGLAS, MGR. 1145 WHITE BUILDING, MAIN WELL CAFE 7th Ave. R. Douglas, Mer. 1984, DESIGNED FOR EVERY BUSINESS WALDORF HOTEL Apartments IN CONNECTION Apartments $25.00 per Month Up Rooms $1.00 Day Up and Pike St. omparisons Bp Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Company filed its report August 18 with the Public Service Commission for the calendar year ending December 31, 1916. The report covers the properties owned by it, which are the street railways, light and power utilities of Seattle, power in Tacoma, and street railways, light, power and gas in Bellingham. The three interurban lines, the street railways in Tacoma and the street railways, light, power and water of Everett, are not a part of the Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Company, but are controlled by it. The annual reports formerly were for the fiscal years ending June 30. They are now made out by calendar years. The last period of normal traffic, that is, before automobile and jitney competition had noticeably affected street railway traffic, is covered in the fiscal year report of June 30, 1914. Comparison of the two reports— 1916 with 1914—shows a decrease in operating revenues, stationary operating expenses, a decline in traffic, a decreased average rate of fare and an actual increase in service. Revenues from operation of railway properties were reduced from $3,926,517.99 in 1914 to $3,297,367.89 in 1916, a loss of $629,140.10. On the operating expense side, however, the reduction was only $15,866.26 in the same period. At the same time the number of passengers carried per annum declined from 106,214,389 in 1914 to only 89,413,079 in 1916. This is a loss of 16 per cent in traffic revenues which can reasonably be placed on automobile and jitney competition. But while the Traction Company was sustaining these losses the reports show that service, as measured in car. miles, was in- creased. In all $629,140.10 less revenues were received and 16,801,- 310 fewer passengers were carried in 1916 than in 1914, but car miles increased by 352,962 in the latter year over the former. The car miles in 1914 were 13,447,047 and 13,800, 009 i in 1916. In other words, a decline in traffic was met by an increase in service. The average rate of fare in 1914 was 3.62 cents. In 1916 it was 3.58 cents. The av erage number of passengers carried per car mile in 1914 was 7.9 and in 1916 it was 6.4. Regular fare passen- gers dropped from 77,007,953 in 1914 to 66,027,760 in 1916. There were 19,967,058 passengers carried on transfers and 3,816,596 free passengers carried in the latter year. The free passengers are em- ployes and the police and firemen and other officials carried free as a part of the company’s franchise requirements. The company has in service 441 passenger cars. It paid in wages and salaries for operation and maintenance during the last year $2,480,431.40. Paving maintenance cost $34,771.89; track clean- ing $19,212.94; snow and ice $31,448.09 and track and roadway labor and expense $58,218.00. Taxes for the Traction Company for the year aggregated $582, 879.02, while the total for all the com- panies under its control in the Puget Sound district was $804,653.62. Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Company