FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1938 195 
Virtually all fish received in Chicago arrive by three types of car- 
riers. These are, in order of their importance: Rail freight, motor- 
truck, and rail express. While rail freight leads among the types of 
carriers when considering all receipts, we find that it follows the motor- 
truck when considering receipts from domestic sources only. This 
predominance of the motortruck in carrying domestic fish is influenced 
especially by the hauling of fresh-water fish from neighboring States. 
However, the truck also is an important factor in more distant hauls; 
for instance, truck receipts of rosefish from Massachusetts for the 6- 
month period amounted to the equivalent of nearly 30 carloads. Con- 
siderable quantities of other groundfish also were received by truck 
from New England and truck shipments of shucked oysters from 
Chesapeake Bay were important. In earlier years steamers trans- 
ported quantities of fresh-water fish from lake ports to Chicago by 
water. More recently, this factor in the receipt of fish at this market 
is considered negligible. Between a million and a million and a half 
pounds of fish normally are landed each year on Chicago’s lake front 
by local commercial fishermen. 
Chicago’s distribution of fresh and frozen sea food is largely effected 
through its 62 wholesale dealers, 10 brokers, 10 hotel and restaurant 
supply firms, and 14 fish smokers; all of which are primarily direct 
receivers. Some 200 retail dealers who handle fish exclusively may 
at times receive direct shipments; however, most of their requirements 
are purchased through the Chicago wholesale market. 
With only a few exceptions Chicago’s wholesale dealers, who are 
direct receivers of fishery products, are concentrated in a central loca- 
tion west of the downtown business section. All receipts must be 
brought to this market by truck since it is not located on the water 
nor is it served directly by rail. Cold-storage plants are situated in 
the same general area, being readily accessible for either the storage 
or withdrawal of fishery products. The Fishery Market News Service 
office is within one block of the market area. 
Delivery of fish from the Chicago wholesale market to local and sub- 
urban buyers may be effected either by trucks owned by the wholesale 
dealers or in the trucks of the buyers. The services of trucking agen- 
cies or rail express are used for longer hauls. Frequently, in the in- 
stance of carlot sales, the entire car is diverted to the buyer without 
a preliminary opening in Chicago. This occurs quite frequently in 
sales of halibut and salmon arriving from the Pacific Coast. 
The old-style fish hucksters are factors of decreasing importance in 
the distribution of Chicago’s fish, but they are being replaced by 
modern so-called hucksters who operate up-to-date refrigerated trucks 
on established routes throughout the outlying sections of the mid- 
Central States. 
During 1938 the activities of the Chicago office and the issuing of 
the daily report and monthly summary were supervised by E. C. 
Hinsdale, Fisheries Marketing Agent, assisted by B. F. Lucarz, Junior 
Clerk-stenographer. 
SEATTLE, WASH. 
The Seattle office of the Fishery Market News Service issued its 
first daily Fishery Products Report on October 1, 1938. ‘The report 
includes data on the daily receipts and prices of fishery products at 
Seattle, with separate sections for each major fishery. Statistics on 
