14 FISHING IN THE PRIAMUR DISTRICT OF SIBERIA. 
came to be one of the most valuable by-products of the fishing 
industry, commanding a much higher price than the fish itself. 
The newcomers also changed the method of salting fish, and 
instead of producing crude briny fish prepared with inferior salt from 
Japan they carefully selected the fish and thoroughly washed and 
mildly salted them with the best salt. The resulting product, called 
‘‘semga,’’ is similar to European cured salmon. The best qualities 
stand the railway transportation to European Russia, where they 
command a very high price. 
The Government met the fishermen halfway by lowering the 
freight rates and by extending more liberal credits through the 
Government bank, as is shown in the following extract from an order 
of the Government bank regarding loans to fishermen, against prom- 
issory notes with one signature for working capital: 
With a view to extending credit to the fishermen of the far east the Government 
bank has found it possible to allow the issuance of loans to the fishermen for working 
capital against the following guaranties: 
1. Fishing equipment; mortgages on fishing property and buildings. 
2. Real estate, situated outside the fishing station, or a sold warranty. 
All applications of fishermen are to be submitted, in accordance with clauses 30 and 
65 of the bank’s by-laws, for approval of the discount and loan committee of the branch, 
and forwarded to the council of the bank for ratification. 
Further, in view of the fact that the property which is to serve as a guaranty for 
the loan is situated on land rented from the Government, and taking into consider- 
ation the special conditions of the rental of these lands, the bank has found it neces- 
sary to establish, in agreement with the Department of Land Organization and Agri- 
culture, the following regulations: 
1. Credits will be opened only after an investigation of the financial standing of the 
fisherman, made with the assistance of a local representative of the Priamur branch 
of fhe Department of Domains. 
. Credits will be in accordance with the verified appraisement of the fishing 
ote made by the Priamur branch of the Department of Domains. 
3. When opening a credit against goods, a special notarial application to the De- 
partment of Domains is to be made by the borrower, stating that he gives the Depart- 
ment of Domains the right to cancel his rent contract at the first demand of the 
Government bank, and to use money deposited and sums due to him for the property, 
for the purpose of paying his debts to the bank. 
4, The application mentioned in paragraph 3 is to contain a clause by which the 
borrower agrees not to remove any buildings at the fishing stations, nor to turn them 
over to another person without having obtained the required permit from the bank. 
5. The application mentioned in paragraph 3 is to be turned over by the bank 
to the Priamur branch of the Department of Domains with the request that the 
bank be assured that the conditions of the application will be carried out by the 
Department of Domains. 
The Japanese, realizing their mistake, have put up a strong fight 
for the Nikolaievsk district. As late as 1913 the Japanese. firm 
P. N. Shimada, at Nikolaievsk, offered the Nikolaievsk fishermen the 
following prices for fish prepared in Japanese style: Summer bump- 
