ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1920. 67 
INVESTMENT, PERSONS ENGAGED, AND PRODUCTS OF ALASKA SHORE WHALING 
OPERATIONS IN 1919. 
Items. Number.|} Value. Items. Number.| Value. 
INVESTMENT. PRODUCTS. 
Vessels: | Whales: 
Steam and gas.........-- 9 $471, 000 MinDack: cc-- aces cea Lis) ssacsactues 
Net tonnage......... 15 bees Se ee II DAC Kee eeeee see eas Ge ee 
Bare! sseaia.cece-s----2% 1 30, 000 Sulphur-bottom......... oj Kell Bees eee 
Net tonnage....--... DS PaO) | otecercts eee | Slo) y= ee ae ea OO Es! eee 
Launches under 5 tons... 5 6, 400 || Heli sctrects Mewes COW boasts. 
Row boats:....0:5..-..-- 19 1, 360 || BEM Gcsetectee issn aoe cei yA ital eerste eee 
BOOW Sea oone eon: =e 2, 800 ———_—__|————— 
Pile driver... 150 |) Motales: =26 Sasdre = 8922 G65)|2 45 2 he oe 
Value of plants... 366, 246 = = 
Cash capital. ..... 546,946 || Whale oil............ Saat 1 765, 309 $304, 256 
WMP OSSD aU cs co manent sccm cee s|ae nice chee 216, 008i # Sperm On teeeseceecen cece cia= 1 343, 611 131, 783 
———|| Fertilizer, meat.............. 21,218 101, 105 
Rotalee se cose sae ass< ellos Setons 1,700,910 || Fertilizer, bone.............. 2 377 18, 815 
——$_— |__| | MV RIEOONOLeS see tea ee ee 3 17, 484 6,118 
PERSONS ENGAGED. Ivory, Sperm... .---------.--- 3 750 225 
Wihites =< 55552 eedan4 A: 289 ct Jest cece Potalicct assess acceeee ss fe. 562, 302 
IN BULVES scat sone comin as omiecreieisic cg ae er es 
Japanese 23433 2. sr hss. BS el (ets ap pea to 6S 
| 
Mobal ste se sst ee 318) [7 | 
1 Gallons. 2 Tons. 3 Pounds. 
CLAM CANNING. 
A few years ago the canning of clams in Alaska gave promise of 
becoming an industry of some consequence, as it was then generally 
held that the areas occupied by clams were reasonably extensive, 
fairly accessible, and that they might support an independent indus- 
try for some time to come; but to date almost no attempt has been 
made to develop clam fisheries at any other locality than the Cordova 
district. Production in that field began to decline in 1919. The re- 
sults of operations in 1920, with only one company packing clams at 
Cordova as against three in 1918, show that this decline is still in 
progress. In addition to the exhaustion of the clam beds it was also 
apparent that the increasing cost of the raw product to the packers 
was a vital factor in the life of the industry. Owing to the diminu- 
tion in the supply of clams the diggers encountered greater difficulty 
in making wages, which necessitated a demand from them for a 
higher rate per pound for clams. 
Clam canning was carried on by the Pioneer Packing Co., at Cor- 
dova; Surf Packing Co., at Chisik Island, Cook Inlet; and the 
Douglas Island Packing Co., at Douglas. These companies were 
also engaged in canning salmon, for which reason the plant invest- 
ment is credited to that industry. There were employed 57 diggers, 
to whom wages amounting to $9,387 were paid. A total of 6,833 
cases of clams and clam juice was prepared, the value of which was 
$46,812, 
