,')88 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



15,252 barrels, and 4,245 half- barrels of salted whole salmon ; and of 

 salted bellies, 35 barrels and 36 half-barrels. In ordinary parlance, it 

 requires 3 barrels of salmon to produce 1 barrel of bellies. 



As it will be seen, the total value of the aggregate pack at the market 

 prices ruling in San Francisco, tlie principal port of distribution, is 

 $2,064,340.05. 



Based upon an average of cost of $2.73 per case and $6 per barrel (200 

 pounds to the barrel) and $11 for bellies, the profits of the industry, 

 while not excessive, are for the season just past fair and satisfactory, 

 and several establishments heretofore conducted at a loss are presump- 

 tively able to realize dividends this season. Among other causes lead- 

 ing to this result are to be mentioned the reduction in operating expenses, 

 brought about by the more economical management incident to cooper- 

 ation through a board of trustees known as the Alaska Packers' Associ- 

 ation, and a very considerable falling oft' in the pack of the British 

 Columbia canneries, which has resulted in a better market and larger 

 demand abroad. Of these markets England and Australia are the 

 principal ones. 



TIN PLATE. 



Tin plate, which enters so largely into the cost account of tinned 

 salmon, was sold and delivered cheaper to the consumer for the season 

 of 1892 than for the two seasons previous, and contracts for deliveries 

 for the season of 1393 have been made upon a still lower basis, as will 

 be seen by a reference. 



Lowest reported price for season (duty paid, delivered at San Francisco and 

 Astoria) : 



1891 $6.80 



1892 5.82* 



1893 5.72 



ALIEN LABOR. 



A large percentage of the labor employed in the principal establish- 

 ments is noncitizeu. British Columbia and Europe furnish some, but 

 the larger proportion are Chinese. The latter are employed principally 

 in work requiring great manual dexterity, such as making cans, filling 

 cans, labeling, and packing. In some few cases Chinese contractors 

 employ native or Indian labor, and in a few minor instances natives 

 do all the work usually done by the Chinese, but on the whole the sys- 

 tem of contracting with a responsible Chinese firm for a certain num- 

 ber of "hands" or to put up a pack of a specified minimum number of 

 cases for the season meets with the most approval. The introduction 

 of improved machinery, which has taken the place of much hand work, 

 such as can soldering and can filling, has brought the business within 

 such limits as to have a restrictive operation upon the tendency to 

 "strike." The native fisherman has not been slow to avail himself of 

 the strike method as taught him by the more irresponsible European 

 laborers, but the cooperative management has apparently had a depress- 

 ing effect, and during the season just passed no strikes were reported. 



SALMON STREAMS HELD BY ALIENS. 



During the past season some difficulties arose among the native fish- 

 ermen and a party of fishermen from British Columbia headed by an 

 educated half-breed from Victoria. Complaint being made to me, I 

 referred the matter to the United States attorney for his action and 

 his decision has had the tendency to discourage any further irruption 



