30 FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 
operated by companies which can salmon, viz, at Karluk and on the 
Naha, by the Alaska Packers Association; at Klawak, by the North 
Pacific Trading and Packing Company, and at Hetta, by the North- 
western Fisheries Company. The Alaska Packers Association has been 
operating its two large hatcheries (the total expenditure on which, 
without counting in the cost of maintenance, has been something like 
$300,000) for some years. Up to last year, when the new law went 
into effect, the association had borne, in addition to the initial cost 
of these plants, and the large annual expense entailed in operating 
them, the regular license tax of 4 cents on every case packed, just as 
had those canneries which did not operate hatcheries. Under the 
present law the owners of private hatcheries receive in rebates proba- 
bly a little less than the cost of operating, which is a much more 
equitable arrangement than that under the old law. During the period 
from July 1, 1906, to June 30, 1907, the three hatcheries which were 
then operated by private companies (the Northwestern Fisheries Com- 
pany did not open the Hetta hatchery until after the close of the 
hatching season of 1906-7) deposited in the streams of Alaska 
118,979,000 fry, for which they received rebate certificates to the 
value of about $47,590. The hatchery owner receiving these cer- 
tificates is permitted to use them in the payment, or part payment, 
of his license tax on salmon packed. 
LAWS AND VIOLATIONS. 
FORTY-EIGHT-HOUR LAW. 
Cannery men, with very few exceptions, vigorously approve the sec- 
tion of the law forbidding the canning of salmon which have been 
dead longer than forty-eight hours. The law makes no distinction 
between the species, however, whereas there is considerable differ- 
ence in the rapidity with which different species of salmon, under the 
same conditions, become unfit to can. The softer tissues of the 
humpback become tainted sooner than those of the redfish, and in 
warm weather may not remain in proper condition for 48 hours; 
on the other hand, in cold weather the redfish may sometimes be com- 
paratively firm and fresh when two days old. The law as it stands is 
certainly not too rigorous and imposes no hardships. Its observance 
should be demanded and is to the interests of all concerned. 
WEEKLY CLOSE PERIOD. 
The change in the weekly close period from Saturday to Sunday 
did not go into effect in 1906 until the season was somewhat advanced. 
The change occurred on June 26, 1906, but allowing some time for its 
promulgation, the new arrangement can not be said to have had a 
thorough trial until the season of 1907. Only a few expressed dis- 
satisfaction with the change, while most cannery men and fishermen 
