﻿466 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  per 
  case. 
  From 
  1880 
  to 
  1886 
  was 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  industry, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  one 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  most 
  rapid 
  decline 
  

   in 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  products 
  occurred. 
  The 
  average 
  value 
  of 
  sardines 
  

   in 
  1886 
  was 
  only 
  $4 
  per 
  case, 
  or 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  price 
  received 
  in 
  

   1880. 
  Even 
  this 
  comparatively 
  low 
  value 
  was 
  not 
  maintained 
  for 
  any 
  

   great 
  length 
  of 
  time. 
  Prices 
  continued 
  to 
  decline 
  steadily 
  each 
  year, 
  

   and 
  in 
  1889 
  the 
  average 
  value 
  was 
  $3.82, 
  in 
  1892 
  it 
  was 
  $3.50, 
  and 
  in 
  

   1895 
  only 
  $2.41 
  per 
  case. 
  In 
  the 
  last-named 
  year 
  the 
  goods 
  were 
  in 
  

   many 
  instances 
  sold 
  for 
  much 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  actual 
  cost 
  of 
  production. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  interesting 
  to 
  note 
  the 
  decline 
  in 
  the 
  average 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  

   variety 
  known 
  as 
  "quarter 
  oils." 
  This 
  grade 
  contains 
  100 
  cans 
  in 
  each 
  

   case, 
  and 
  has 
  always 
  been 
  packed 
  more 
  extensively 
  than 
  any 
  other. 
  

   In 
  1875 
  the 
  quarter 
  size 
  of 
  oil 
  sardines 
  was 
  sold 
  at 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  $10 
  

   per 
  case. 
  In 
  1880 
  the 
  average 
  was 
  $9, 
  in 
  1886 
  it 
  was 
  about 
  $4.50, 
  in 
  

   1889 
  $3.87, 
  in 
  1892 
  $3.65, 
  and 
  in 
  1895 
  only 
  $2.48 
  per 
  case. 
  

  

  Cost 
  of 
  'production, 
  — 
  The 
  quarter 
  size 
  of 
  oil 
  sardines 
  being 
  the 
  leading 
  

   grade 
  manufactured, 
  it 
  may 
  properly 
  be 
  selected 
  as 
  a 
  basis 
  for 
  deter- 
  

   mining 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  production. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  producing 
  this 
  variety 
  in 
  

   1895, 
  including 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  shipping 
  and 
  selling 
  the 
  goods, 
  is 
  esti- 
  

   mated 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  from 
  $2.50 
  to 
  $2.60 
  per 
  case. 
  It 
  must 
  be 
  remem- 
  

   bered 
  that 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  production 
  varies 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  year. 
  As 
  the 
  

   price 
  of 
  sardines 
  declined, 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  material 
  and 
  labor 
  required 
  in 
  

   their 
  manufacture 
  decreased 
  in 
  nearly 
  the 
  same 
  proportion. 
  This 
  

   resulted 
  both 
  from 
  the 
  necessities 
  of 
  the 
  industry 
  and 
  various 
  other 
  

   causes. 
  The 
  small 
  herring 
  — 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  items 
  of 
  mate- 
  

   rial 
  used 
  — 
  were 
  never 
  especially 
  valuable 
  for 
  any 
  other 
  purpose. 
  With 
  

   the 
  constantly 
  growing 
  demand 
  created 
  for 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  canneries, 
  

   they 
  continued 
  to 
  increase 
  in 
  value, 
  even 
  after 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  the 
  canned 
  

   products 
  began 
  to 
  decline 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  supply 
  was 
  generally 
  ample, 
  the 
  

   highest 
  limit 
  was 
  finally 
  reached 
  and 
  the 
  cost 
  has 
  since 
  been 
  governed 
  

   almost 
  wholly 
  by 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  sardines. 
  During 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years, 
  

   therefore, 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  herring 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  low, 
  because 
  the 
  manu- 
  

   facturers 
  could 
  not 
  afford 
  to 
  pay 
  more, 
  notwithstanding 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  

   the 
  quantity 
  utilized 
  was 
  larger 
  than 
  ever 
  before. 
  

  

  Tin 
  plate 
  is 
  also 
  much 
  less 
  expensive 
  than 
  formerly, 
  and 
  other 
  

   materials 
  have 
  undergone 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  reduction 
  in 
  cost. 
  The 
  price 
  

   paid 
  for 
  decorating 
  tin 
  plate 
  has 
  been 
  greatly 
  reduced. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  

   articles, 
  the 
  prices 
  of 
  which 
  will 
  not 
  readily 
  yield 
  to 
  the 
  conditions 
  

   of 
  business, 
  a 
  cheaper 
  quality 
  has 
  been 
  substituted. 
  The 
  oil 
  used 
  for 
  

   packing 
  sardines 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  items 
  of 
  this 
  kind, 
  and 
  there 
  

   are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  others 
  less 
  prominent. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  product 
  is 
  

   further 
  lessened 
  by 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  more 
  skillful 
  and 
  economical 
  

   methods 
  in 
  the 
  manufacturing 
  processes 
  than 
  were 
  formerly 
  practiced. 
  

  

  Wages 
  have 
  been 
  reduced 
  to 
  some 
  extent, 
  although 
  a 
  fairly 
  remunera- 
  

   tive 
  rate 
  has 
  thus 
  far 
  been 
  paid. 
  Efforts 
  to 
  reduce 
  them 
  below 
  a 
  certain 
  

   limit 
  have 
  usually 
  been 
  unsuccessful. 
  The 
  loss 
  resulting 
  from 
  the 
  con- 
  

   stantly 
  declining 
  prices 
  of 
  the 
  products 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  offset 
  in 
  some 
  

  

  