PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 175 
MARKET PRICES FOR CANNED SALMON. 
The manner of fixing the selling price at which the canner is willing 
to dispose of his canned product varies slightly in certain regions. 
In May or June, when the spring-packing season has sufficientl 
advanced so that a line can be gotten on the probable pack of chi- 
nook, the highest priced of the pack, the Columbia River canners 
parse upon a price, this usually being high or low, as the pack is small 
or large. 
Brite the Alaska Packers Association was formed, through a com- 
bination of a number of canneries operating in the Territory of 
Alaska, it has packed annually in recent years about one-fourth of 
the salmon canned. It also owns several canneries on Puget Sound, 
thus being quite a factor in that region also. 
In the early days of the association the custom grew up amongst 
the smaller packers of Alaska and Puget Sound of waiting until the 
association fixed the prices on its own pack, when the others would 
generally fall into line with the same prices for their packs. This 
custom is still in vogue. At no time has it ever been compulsory 
on the part of any packer to adopt the same prices as the association. 
In fact, it has sometimes been the case that, while the small packer 
publicly quoted the association’s opening prices, yet in secret he was 
shading it by 24 to 5 cents per dozen on certain grades. In recent 
years this has frequently been the case and the big packers, who 
adhered to the opening prices, have had to sit idly by and watch 
their small competitors underselling them and getting the bulk of 
the business until they had finally disposed of their goods, when, 
necessarily, they would have to drop out of the market until the 
next season. 
Occasionally the other packers do not like a certain quotation of 
the association and make one more nearly in consonance with their 
own views. This happened in 1913, when the association quoted 60 
cents for chums, oHile the Puget Sound canners quoted 55 cents for 
this grade, and in 1915 when the association quoted 65 cents for 
chums and the Puget Sound interests 70 cents for the same grade, 
thus showing clearly the independence of the smaller packers. 
Owing to a peculiar feature of the salmon marketing business, 
more depends upon the opening prices than appears on the surface 
to the uninitiated. 
Shortly after the first of the year buyers throughout the world 
begin to take stock of their salmon supplies and shortly thereafter 
begin placing their “future” orders. These cover the quantity 
required of each grade, and when the buyer orders through a broker 
the orders are placed subject to a contract similar to the following: 
The undersigned hereby authorizes to book the number of cases of canned 
salmon specified below; said booking to be filed with packers for delivery from 
(naming year) pack, subject to buyers’ approval of opening prices when named; the 
option being granted buyers of confirming the total number of cases specified below; con- 
rming a smaller quantity, or declining any confirmation, 
furthermore agrees that buyers shall have the option of increasing quantities 
listed below, when he names opening prices for his packers, contingent upon his 
ability to secure at that time an increased allotment from his packers. In event 
secures an increased allotment from his packers insufficient to meet all increases 
requested by his patrons, he will distribute such increase as he can secure among 
the dealers who have filed conditional contracts with him, according to the date order 
that said contracts have been received in. his office. 
