THE FTSHEKIES OF ALASKA IN 1906. 



EMPLOYEES. 



The number of persons employed in the fisheries of Alaska in 1906 

 was 12,357, of whom 4,542 were engaged directly in fishing, 7,246 in 

 the canneries, salteries, and at other shore work, and 569 employed on 

 the transporting vessels. This total is a gain of 890 over the number 

 employed in 1905. The small number of transporters for the large 

 number of transporting vessels is explained by the fact that in the 

 salmon fishery the employees, who are taken from the home port to the 

 plant in Alaska in sailing vessels and serve as sailors on the voyage, 

 become the fishermen during the fishing season and are counted as 

 such, hence could not be counted also as transporters. 



Southeast Alaska leads in the number of fishermen and transporters 

 and Western Alaska in the number of shoresmen. In the total number 

 of persons employed Western Alaska is first, followed by Southeast and 

 Central Alaska in the order named. Whites predominate in fishing 

 and transporting, while Chinese are in the lead as shoresmen. The 

 Chinese have decreased in number slightly since 1905, the Japanese 

 have increased slightly, and there has been a large increase in the 

 number of natives employed. 



Employees in the Alaska Fisheries in 1906. 



INVESTMENT. 



The total investment in the fisheries was $8,835,458. In 1905 the 

 total investment reported was $22,038,485. The explanation of 

 this great discrepancy is (1) that this year the item of cash capital 

 (in 1905 this item alone amounted to $12,013,200) has been eliminated 

 entirely; it has always been a rather indefinite factor, apt to lead to 

 misunderstanding and confusion, and it served no useful purpose, the 

 greater part of it really being included in property values. And (2) a 

 revaluation of the canneries has been made, a very material reduction 

 being made in some of them. Nearly every other item in the table 

 shows an increase over the corresponding item in 1 905. In total invest- 

 ment Western Alaska leads, having slightly over one-half of the whole. 



