PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



55 



Review of 1914 Foreign and Domestic Salmon Market 



KELLEY-CLARKE CO. 



The year 1914 was ushered in with quite a substantial 

 stock left of the cheaper grades of salmon, which met 

 with rather a sluggish market until midsummer, when a 

 steady demand encouraged an advancing market in all 

 grades without any excitement until the latter part of 

 July and the first part of August, at the time the war 

 broke out, when considerable excitement developed and 

 the low grades advanced sharply. However, a large ma- 

 jority of the carry-over stock had been disposed of at the 

 opening prices, and the latter part of August but compara- 

 tively few remained. In fact, as far as Chums were con- 

 cerned, we had been shipping down early pack Chums from 

 Alaska during July to take care of the demand that existed 

 for both Chums and Pinks together, as the 1913 stock of 

 Chums had been exhausted. 



After the opening of prices, which were made as moder- 

 ate as seemed consistent with the conditions that sur- 

 rounded the commercial world, a very substantial business 

 was booked and much was expected in the way of foreign 

 orders for supplies for the warring countries. Up to the 

 present time, however, this has not developed into an 

 actuality and today, if any foreign country should desire 

 to buy a good, substantial quantity of Pink salmon, it 

 would be very' difficult to fill a large order. 



There was quite a substantial stock of Chums left at the 

 end of the year in packer's hands and from time to time 

 during the month of December there was a disposition on 

 the part of some packers who felt that they had to have 

 some money, to cut the price substantially in order to move 

 them promptly. This seems to have spent itself and the 

 quantities that are left are seemingly in very strong hands 



and with a strong tendency to keep the market up to the 

 opening prices. 



In summarizing the condition of affairs at the end of the 

 year, we must say we feel conditions are in fairly good 

 shape. There has been sufficient quantity of each grade 

 sold to make packers feel satisfied to wait patiently for 

 further consumptive demand to move what is left. And 

 there is the ever present hope that sooner or later the 

 belligerent countries will feel that salmon can be made 

 an important food product for the commissaries of their 

 armies, which, if realized, would clean up the surplus stock 

 to an extent that it has never been cleaned up before. But 

 in the ordinary course of consumptive business of the 

 world, we cannot but feel that by next summer we will see 

 a very satisfactory disposition of the pack of 1914. 



GRIFFITH. DURNEY CO. 



The year 1914 has been in many ways a remarkable one, 

 but in the canned goods line salmon is the star feature. 



While early in 1914 first hands were cleaned up on every- 

 thing except Sockeyes and Pinks, dealers and retailers 

 were carrying fairly good stocks, hence there was very 

 little interest shown in salmon of any grade up to April, 

 when buyers began to purchase more or less Alaska Reds 

 and Pinks. The year 1913 closed with all grades selling 

 at opening prices, excepting Alaska Reds $1.20 and Pinks 

 65c, but about the middle of April the market commenced 

 to firm up, and by the last of July Alaska Red was selling 

 at $1.25 and Alaska Pink at 70c. By the middle of July, 

 owing to heavy consumption, Red had advanced to $1.40 

 and Pink to 80c, other grades advancing proportionately. 



Therefore, the trade generally was prepared for the open- 



OPENING PRICES AND PACK, 1903-1914. 



• The opening price in San Francisco was 60 cents. 

 Note. — Prices quoted are for one dozen cans. 



