456 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Arctic cannery. By these combinations the full pack of the Karluk district was 

 made in half the number of canneries and the expense of packing very consider- 

 ably reduced. 



In September, 1891, the Alaska Packers Association was formed to dispose of the 

 unsold salmon of that season's j)ack (some 363,000 cases) and five trustees were ap- 

 pointed to manage the business. This association was not incorporated and ex- 

 pired after the salmon were sold. 



The successful operation of these arrangements led, in 1892, to an arrangement 

 in which nearly all (31) of the canneries joined, entering under the name of the 

 Alaska Packing (not Packers) Association, for the purpose of leasing and operat- 

 ing and therefore controlling the canneries and reducing the Alaska pack for that 

 year, it being found too great for the market's demands. All the canneries in 

 operating condition in 1892 were members of this association except the follow- 

 ing: Metlakahtla Industrial Co., at Metlakahtla; Boston Fishing & Trading 

 Co., at Yes Bay; BaranofT Packing Co., at Redfish Bay; Chilkat Canning Co., 

 at Pyramid Harlx)r; Alaska Improvement Co., at Karluk; and the Bering Sea 

 Packing Co., at Ugashik. 



The association was regularly incorporated on January 13, 1892, and shares 

 were distriljuted on the basis of 1 for each 2,000 cases packed in 1891, and the 

 profits were divided etiually on all shares, regardless of the amount of profits 

 derived at the different points. Of the 31 canneries, 9 were operated by the 

 association, while tlie others were closed, the Alaska pack being reduced one-lialf. 



The year 1893 found the Alaska Packers Association organized and incor- 

 porated" February 9. This association was formed from the canneries that had 

 joined the Alaska Packing Association of 1892, except the Pacific Steam Whaling 

 Co., at Prince William Sound, and the Peninsula Trading & Fishing Co., the 

 latter's cannerv having been moved from Little Kayak Island to the Copper 

 River delta in "1891. 



The agreement of 1893 was similar to that of 1892, except that the amount of 

 profit was taken into consideration in addition to the probable average quantity 

 which could be packed at the different points. This was subject to adjustment for 

 each district, and no arbitrary rule was followed. Each caiuiery entering the 

 association was obliged to purclia.se an additional amount of stock, equaling 

 two-thirds of tlie number of sliares received by it for its plant; tliat is, a company 

 which received 1,500 shares for its plant was required to purchase 1,000 shares 

 additional. The money received from this sale of extra stock was used as working 

 capital. No shares were sold to the general public, the owners of canneries sub- 

 scribing for the full amount. 



This association was then and is now (1928) the largest operator 

 in Alaska, and, with its one operating cannery on Puget Sound, is also a 

 factor in that region. 



At a number of its canneries the association has always main- 

 tained physicians, whose services and supplies have been free to its 

 own employees and to all natives applying for medical advice and 

 medicines. This service has been of incalculable benefit to the latter, 

 a large proportion of whom suffer from disease in some form or other. 

 A number of the other canneries also have doctors at their plants. 



No canning has been done at Karluk since 1911, when a new can- 

 nery was built at Larsen Bay, a branch of Uyak Bay, and the equip- 

 ment remaining in the plants on the spit removed to it. This was 

 done because frequent storms had caused havoc to vessels anchored 

 in the open straits opposite the mouth of the lagoon. Since then 

 fishing has been carried on as usual, the fish being carried to the 

 canneries on Uyak Bay. The Alaska Packers Association and 

 Northwestern Fisheries Co. — the oldest operators there — have an 

 agreement to divide the fish on the basis of seven to the former for 

 every three given to the latter. 



Numerous attempts have been made of recent years by other 

 operators to participate in fishing operations off Karluk Spit with 

 varying success. As the two companies named above own the greater 

 part of the adjacent beach, where beach seines have to be drawn 



