' PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 241 
‘salmon in certain sections of the country has called for a cheaper grade 
of fish, which has brought the neglected steelhead into prominence. 
The silver salmon, which does not enter the river until most of the 
canneries are closed, has also been canned in some quantities, and 
both it and the steelhead have met with a ready sale that has yearly 
shown tendencies to greatly increase. 
Fishermen, 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 protection under the name of the Washington 
Fishermen’s Association, with headquarters at Ilwaco, Pacifie 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 their claims and portraying their supposed 
grievances. The object of the association of pound-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 
the price first offered, 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 chinooks. 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 niles 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. R. 93——16 . 
