PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 241 



salmon in certain sections of the country lias called for a cheaper grade 

 of fisli, which has brought tlie neglected steelhead into prominence. 

 Tlie silver salmon, which does not enter the river until most of the 

 canneries are closed, has also been canned in some quantities, and 

 botli it and the steelhead have met with a ready sale that has yearly 

 shown tendencies to greatly increase. 



FisJiermen, prices, etc. — Under the laws of Oregon and Washington 

 all fishermen must be naturalized citizens of the United States. Ref- 

 erence to the previous report on the fisheries of this river will show 

 that in 1888 a very large proportion of the fishermen, especially those 

 employed in the gill-net fishery, were aliens. The law is said to be 

 very fully complied with, and the men now profess to be citizens and 

 voters. They represent many nationalities. 



The gill-net fishermen belong chiefly to the Latin races. They are 

 united under the name of the Columbia River Fishermen's Protective 

 Union, with headquarters at Astoria, Oreg. The pound-net fishermen 

 are mostly native-born Americans or Scandinavians. These have 

 combined for mutual iirotection under the name of the Washington 

 Fishermen's Association, with headquarters at Uwaco, Pacific County, 

 Wash., near which place most of the pound nets employed in the 

 Columbia River are located. These two associations are to some extent 

 antagonistic. Each legislature usually finds representatives from both 

 associations advocating tlieir claims and portraying their supposed 

 grievances. The object of the association of ])ound-net fishermen is 

 said to be : 



To promote and foster the fishing industry of the State of Washington; to assist 

 in building and maintaining fish-hatcheries; to induce legislation, by petition or 

 other lawful means, to protect the industry and those engaged in it; to extend to 

 its members aid and assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, when necessary. 



By an agreement between the canners and fishermen, the price to be 

 paid for the catch during the ensuing year is usually agreed upon 

 before the beginning of fishing operations. The failure to agree on a 

 price in 1890 resulted in a strike that was disastrous to the fishermen. 

 For several years prior to 1890 the men had been receiving $1 each 

 for Chinook salmon, which comprised nearly, all of the gill-net catch. 

 The men demanded $1.25 each for their fish, which, being refused, a 

 general strike was begun which lasted throughout the month of April. 

 After losing one month of the short salmon season, the men agreed to 

 tlie price first ofi'ered, but refused tO'Contract at that price for the entire 

 season. One dollar per fish was paid up to June 1, after which the 

 canners would give only 75 cents for chiuooks. The most serious out- 

 come of the strike was the attempt of the association fishermen to 

 destroy the nets of a few non-union men. A large body of fishermen 

 belonging to the gill-net association embarked in their boats at Astoria 

 and proceeded several miles up the river, where the nets of the non- 

 union men were set. On beginning their work of destruction, they 

 were met with a volley of rifle balls from the fishermen on the shore, 

 F. K. 93 16 



