530 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



4. In order to meet the preliminary expenses of the inspection before the regular 

 fund becomes available, each canner v\iio signs a contract will pa}' into the 

 treasury of tlie National Canners Association, within 30 days after signing the 

 contract, an assessment of one-half cent per case on his pack of 1918, on the 

 commodities to be inspected. Should the total sum raised during the season be 

 greater than the expenses of inspection during the season, a refund of all or a 

 portion of the one-half cent per case will be made after a small sum is reserved 

 to maintain a consistent surplus. 



5. The treasurer of the National Canners Association distributes this money to 

 tlie local sections wliere the money is to be spent. 



6. The National Canners Association has no profit in this inspection — its 

 only requirement being that each canner under inspection is a member of the 

 association, and pays the meml)ershi]i xxnd general dues. 



7. A director or supervisor of inspection is appointed by the National Canners 

 Association who in turn appoints his assistants. The salaries of the director or 

 sui)ervisor and his assistants are fixed by the National Canners Association 

 which works in harmony with the judgment of the advisory board. The director 

 or supervisor must be a man of superior ability, preferably one with scientific 

 training. He must also be a good executive. 



8. The director or supervisor acts in conjunction with the advisory board 

 which may consist of five, seven, or nine members. This advisory board is 

 elected by the canners in the States or Territories covered. The duties of this 

 board are what its name implies, "advisors." In point of actual experience, 

 it is found this advisory board is able to settle all practical disputes and misunder- 

 standings which may arise under this method of inspection. There is always a 

 final appeal to the executive com.mittee of the National Canners Association. 



9. The National Canners Association does not promise or guarantee to issue 

 certificates of insj^ection, but in territories where inspection has existed, the 

 certificates have been issued on products wiiich merit the same. It should be 

 distinctly understood, however, that this does not form any part of the contract. 



10. The cost in territories where inspection has been applied has been V/i to 2 

 cents per case. It is impossible to advise in advance definitely what the cost 

 will be, as the local conditions differ. It should be borne in mind that there must 

 always be a sufficient number of inspectors to protect the inspection, and if 

 canners are widely scattered, this, as a matter of course, will increase the number 

 numerically — not in proportion to the pack. 



11. The inspection covers sanitation in plants, quarters for employees, and 

 sanitation of the product. It is also proposed, as the work progresses, to apply 

 insi)ection to the character of the raw product, and grading of the same. This 

 grading on staples will be worked out on recommendation from the advisory 

 board, which will be harmonized so as to give a uniform grade to each product 

 through the entire country. 



12. In localities where inspection has been installed, local laboratories pur- 

 cliased and financed by the funds for inspection, have been found most useful. 

 These laboratories furnish prompt facilities for canners for testing their product 

 and working out manufacturing problems which come up dining the activities 

 of the canning season. These laboratories are established and work in harmony 

 with the research laboratories of the National Canners Association, Washington, 

 D. C. 



13. This inspection can well be made the basis of a consistent publicity adver- 

 tising campaign, sliould the industry adopt it generally, in time to guarantee its 

 working satisfactorily during the canning season of 1919. The present plan, 

 however, does not include this publicity campaign, as this is a matter which 

 must necessarily be passed upon later by the canners themselves. 



14. Copy of contract with each canner is herewith inclosed, for information. 



On February 17, 1919, the matter of adopting this inspection 

 system was submitted to the salmon canners of the Pacific coast 

 and accepted by a Large majority. A chief inspector and a number 

 of assistants were appointed, who carried on a sanitary inspection 

 of the various canneries for several seasons. As the results obtained 

 did not seem to justify the outlay required it was finally abandoned. 

 It had been hoped to expand the work to include the quality of the 

 pack itself, but it was soon seen, however, that only a stamp of ap- 

 proval of quality from the Government itself would carry sufficient 

 weight to make it worth while. 



