60 



PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



uncertainty in the minds of buyers as to the stability of the 

 market in America, and also caused a considerable delay in 

 establishing a price which the canners ultimately found it 

 necessary to establish, namely, 26/- quay. This price in- 

 cluded the extra freight and war risk insurance and finan- 

 cial charges brought about by the war, so that in fact the 

 ordinary market estimate of between 24/- and 25/- was 

 about correct, because the extra charges imposed a burden 

 of a least 1/- per case upon the goods. The position was 

 further complicated by some sellers making offers of goods 

 on a c. i. f. basis, payment by three days sight draft and war 

 risk for buyers account. These quotations were freely cir- 

 culated and caused some confusion and delay in getting 

 ordinary business through. There was the additional ele- 

 ment of the uncertainty in buyers' minds as to what effect 

 the war might have upon general business conditions and 

 on the demand for Alaska Salmon. The question of ship- 

 ment was also one of some difficulty, because when it be- 

 came known that the bulk of the goods would come via 

 Panama, buyers were unwilling to commit themselves as 

 heavily as they would have done had the goods been coming 

 by the long route which would have brought the goods to 

 the market at a more convenient time so far as the buyers 

 were concerned. 



The result of these unusual circumstances was that the 

 business was not done as quickly as usual, but in the 

 aggregate the volume has been quite satisfactory and the 

 better known brands have been taken in quantities which 

 have quite satisfied the sellers. According to our informa- 

 tion the trade have practically absorbed all the canners had 

 to spare for the English market. 



Alaska and Puget Medium Reds.— The quality of the 1913 

 pack proved to be very good, and with the gradually in- 

 creasing value of Red Salmon, Medium Reds found a better 

 demand, with the result that the spot price gradually rose 

 from 16/- to 20/-, and in some cases even 21/- for specially 

 good parcels. The quotation for the 1911 pack did not 

 attract buyers to any appreciable extent. 



Alaska and Puget Pinks. — The old stocks which were 

 weighing upon the market in the early part of the year 

 were cleaned up at practically any price, and were replaced 

 by very good quality of the 1913 pack, which were imported 

 in the early part of 1914 on the basis of 14/6 per case, and 

 met with quite a satisfactory reception, so that the value 

 steadily improved, and there is now nothing to be obtained 

 under 16/-. At this price the demand is slow but steady. 

 The imports on the basis of 14/6 were sufficiently large to 

 make buyers very independent of the 1914 pack, and not 

 much business has been reported for ordinary domestic 

 consumption in this country at the price of 16/10 which 

 was asked for the 1914 pack. 



Considerable sales have been reported for Continental re- 

 quirements, and we understand the domestic trade in 

 America and Canada have absorbed practically all the Pinks 

 of good and reliable quality. Therefore the existing stocks 

 in warehouse and on the way will have to supply whatever 

 demand there may be until the 1915 pack is available. Pink 

 Salmon of good quality has undoubtedly established itself 

 in the English market, and the demand seems to be capable 

 of considerable expansion, provided the imports are limited 

 to strictly choice quality. 



British Columbia Sockeye. — 1-lb. flats. In January goods 

 on the way were sold at 30/6 quay. In February there were 

 sellers at 31/3 ex store. In April 31/9 was paid, and in 

 May 33/-. The price had risen to 35/- in August, and from 

 that time to the end of the year there was no material 

 change in the spot value, but this was largely in conse- 

 quence of the 1-lb. flat tins being very much neglected. 

 Towards the end of the year some few parcels were pressed 

 for sale and realized 32/6. It is remarkable that the spot 

 values were not more affected by the prices made for the 

 1914 pack, because quite early in the year, namely, Febru- 

 ary and April, sales were being made at about 35/- c. i. f. 

 In June buyers were paying 36/9, and a good deal more 

 business would have been done at this price if it had not 

 been for the fact that packers were very closely sold up, 

 and in order to protect their small possible balances they 

 raised their ideas of price to the region of 38/-, and buyers 

 would not then follow the market to this extent, but later in 

 the year 40/- was paid for such limited quantities as could 

 be bought direct from the canners. This does not, however. 



alter the fact that a limited quantity can still be bought at 

 36/9 to 37/- c.i.f. from second hand sellers. 



1-lb. tails. Sales were made in January at 26/- ex wharf. 

 In May 2S/6 and 29/- were paid. Stocks at this point were 

 practically exhausted. The spot market did not seem to be 

 affected by the prices which were demanded and paid for 

 the 1914 pack. As early as February business was done at 

 33/9 c. i. i., and after that month no sales are reported at 

 less than 34/6, and although this would seem to be a tempt- 

 ing price for the packers, yet it was not high enough to 

 secure as many goods as the market was willing to take. 



%-lb. flats. From 36/6 the prices ruling in December, 

 1913, the value gradually advanced to 42/- in April, 44/- in 

 May, 44/6 in July, and 46/6 in September. From this point 

 the market weakened, and there were offers of spot goods 

 at from 43/6 to 44/6 without eliciting much response. 



The 1914 pack found ready buyers early in the year at 

 from 41/6 to 43/-. In June 44/6 was paid and the price 

 remained almost stationary from then until October, when 

 business was done at 45/-. From that date there was a 

 weakening, and at the time of writing offers of goods on 

 the way are reported at from 42/- to 43/-. 



Red Springs. — A few parcels of selected quality were well 

 received, and realized from 22/- to 25/- for 1-lb. flats ano 

 from 26/- to 41 '- for %-lb. flats. There would be a better 

 sale for these goods if packers took greater care in the 

 selection of the fish. Buyers are always nervous of finding 

 a variety of color in the fish, and this renders the sale of the 

 goods on description very difficult. 



Cohos have not been in much demand, hut sales of %-lb. 

 flats have been made on the spot at from 20 - to 22/6, and 

 forward sales of the 1914 pack have been reported at from 

 26/- to 30/-. It is not easy to convey a correct impression 

 of the demand for this grade of fish by mere quotation of 

 prices. The quality varies so much that some parcels can 

 hardly be classed in the same group with others, although 

 they are both described as Cohos. As a matter of fact, 

 indifferent Coho Salmon is not valued by the buyers at 

 much more than Pinks. 



Chums are of no interest at all so far as domestic con- 

 sumption is concerned. 



British Columbia Pinks. — It is hardly possible to give any 

 satisfactory indication of the value of British Columbia 

 Pinks under that general classification. The value depends 

 entirely upon the quality, and there seems to be no satis- 

 factory way of handling the goods except by actual selec- 

 tion of parcels. They cannot satisfactorily be sold on de- 

 scription. The spot value of talis at time of writing is from 

 14 - to 16/-, and Mt-lb. flats from 16/- to 22/-. 



Puget Sound Sockeye. — 1-lb. flats. In January '!n/6 'ex 

 quay was made for goods then on the way. From this the 

 price rose to 34/- in May. at which it remained until August. 

 After August there was hardly any market, with the result 

 that 32/- was accepted about the end of November. In the 

 meantime the packers had given no encouragement what- 

 ever to buyers of the 1914 pack, although 35/6 was offered 

 and accepted for small quantities in the spring. This price 

 was not high enough to attract sellers later on in the year, 

 because the domestic demands in America rendered Puget 

 Sound packers entirely independent of this market, except 

 on the basis of a price which was from 2/- to 3/- higher 

 than any buyers were willing to pay. 



1-lb. tails. At the commencement of the year there was a 

 good deal of doubt as to whether the heavy quantities of 

 the 1913 pack which had been bought for this market would 

 find ready consumers. This doubt was largely because the 

 market had been so absolutely bare of fine tails for such a 

 long time that this shape of tin had become associated in 

 the minds of grocers and consumers entirely with the 

 cheaper grades of salmon. In some districts it has been 

 found possible to revive the demand for fine tails, but in 

 other districts the effort has been unsuccessful, and gener- 

 ally speaking the trade has found it fairly difficult to get 

 Puget Sound Sockeyes into consumption. 



The market might be described as patchy and irregular 

 right through the year. At the commencement of the year 

 the idea of value for unshipped portions of the 1913 pack 

 was 26/3 c. i. f., and business was actually done at this 

 price for extended shipment, but goods in store or near at 

 hand were being sold in small quantities at 25/6 store, or 

 25/- c. i. f. In February 26/- quay was made, but in March 

 25/6 was against accepted. From March to June the price 



