THE SALMON FISHERIES OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA. 749 



Others lose through packing cans in given boxes, through economy. In the ship's hold tin; 

 boxes sweat, the labels coine off, and the saleableness of the salmon is depreciated if not the fish 

 itself. 



Some lose from leaving the canneries uuteuanted for the idle season, leaving boats to shrink, 

 boards to he stolen, and things generally to go to ruin. 



Some lose through not having a stoek of nets, c., sufficient to make up losses without delay. 



There are also numerous minor leaks, which are known only to those thoroughly conversant 

 with the business. 



7. HISTORY OF THE CANNING INDUSTRY. 



The Humes lirst began canning salmon on the Columbia, in a small way, about. l7(), at Eagle 

 Cliff. At first the salmon were obtained at about 10 cents each and sold at $8 per case. The first 

 years were very profitable, except LS73, when loss was occasioned through the failure of numerous 

 banks. 



Since then improved methods have come in. Competition and strikes have raised the price 

 of fish, and from 1876 to 1880 the river has become a perfect web of nets. In 1876, the river was 

 first fished " for all that it was worth." The canneries on the lower river or "bay" are gradually 

 "cutting out" those above, and to get fish enough now a fisherman must operate very near the 

 mouth of the river. Some of the canneries 20 miles up the river now send their boats to As- 

 toria and take up the fish on steam-tngs. The canneries above Astoria must, therefore, in the 

 nature of things, be forced to suspend in time unless a change takes place. 



It became evident three or four years ago to the canners that the supply of salmon would not 

 last forever, and a contribution was first made to form a joint-stock company for the purpose of 

 building a hatchery which should keep up the supply. 



A fishery law was passed in Washington and in Oregon, to take effect in each district, if 

 ratified by the other, substantially as follows: 



(1) Fishiug was prohibited in March, August, and September. 



(U) Fishiug was prohibited from 6 p. ui. Saturday to 6 p. in. Sunday. 



(3) Gill-net mesh should not be less than 4J inches square, seines not less than 3, and traps 

 should not have their slats less than 2i inches apart. 



(4) Licenses were charged as follows : 



Each boat $10 00 



Each man with gill-net 5 00 



Each dip-net 2 00 



E;ich trap 50 00 



Each seiuo 10 00 



(5) The proceeds of these licenses should be applied to the propagation of salmon under the 

 direction of a "fish commissioner of the Columbia." 



A point on a tributary of the Columbia River was selected as being the most available for 

 the purpose, and a hatchery was built. The support of the State and Territory has now been 

 withdrawn, as the law under which it was given has .been for some reason declared unconstitutional. 

 Its future depends on the re-enactment of some similar law, as the hatchery cannot be kept up by 

 voluntary contributions. 



8. FUTURE OF THE SALMON FISHERIES. 



\s to the question of the. diminution of salmon in the Columbia River the evidence appears 

 somewhat conflicting ; the catch dm-iug the present year (1SSO) has been considerably greater than 

 ever before (nearly 540,000 cases), although the fishing since 1S7(i has been very extensive. On 



