Annual Review of the Pacific Salmon Industry in 1911 



Pacific Fisherrnan 



.J^ aJournal D«vote«i ESxclusIvely to tti«; Rldlilnte Induaitry. 

 ISSUED ON THt riFTH OF EACH MONTH 



VOL. X. 



SEATTLE. WASHINGTON. APRIU 1912. 



NO. 4 



The Salmon Canning Industry — The Millions It Expends 



EERY few persons, even among those actually 

 engaged in salmon canning, realize the vast 

 amount of money which the business expends 

 annually. Each canneryman knows his exact Indi- 

 vidual expenditure, but few grasp the enormous ex- 

 tent of the aggregate. Among the general public, 

 the lack of knowledge concerning this industry 

 is appalling but somewhat pardonable owing to 

 rhe fact that the bulk of persons are not thrown 



ictlvely in contact at any point with the industry. 



t is surprising, however, to find even among 

 those who aim to supply certain of the material 

 and apparatus used in the salmon canning indus- 

 try not only a partial knowledge of full require- 

 ment of the industry, but an absolute ignor- 

 ance of its true proportions and immensity. 



The lamentable opinion prevails in some quar- 

 ters that the salmon canning industry is one which 

 thrives only by the destruction of the raw pro- 

 duct which it finishes and which requires but lit- 

 tle outside that raw product for its maintenance. 

 As a matter of fact there are few industries any- 

 where and none on the Pacific Coast which turn 

 back into business channels as large a portion of 



$6.6oaooo 



$6,000,000 



$5,400,000 



$4,500,000 



the moneys which they receive and which require 

 as large and varied a quantity of supplies as the 

 salmon canning industry. 



In the value of its product salmon canning is 

 exceeded on the Pacific Coast by one industry 

 only, the lumber business. Yet in proportion to 

 the value of Its product, far more money is spent 

 in the process of production In the salmon canning 

 than in the lumber business. As an example of 

 the various ways in which the salmon canning 

 Industry helps other businesses, it might be men- 

 tioned incidentally that the supplying, alone, of 

 the boxes which bold the annual salmon pack is 

 no small arm of the lumbering business. 



Pacific Fisherman estimates (roundly for con- 

 venience sake) that the salmon canners of the 

 Pacific Coast spent $30,000,000 In putting up the 

 1911 pack. Exact figures would probably show 

 something more than $2,000,000 above this figure. 



Mere statistics convey but little Impression of 

 their true significance and while manifestly large 

 the sum $30,000,000 does not give to the average 

 reader a true Impression of Its Immensity. The 

 impression is perhaps more forcible when it is 

 stated that at a salary of $2.60 per day this would 

 pay the wages of an ordinary working man for 

 3,000 centuries. The same sum would keep a 

 standing army of 100,000 for a year. 



This money was divided among two great 

 classes. First, those who are employed directly 

 in the industry and who depend entirely upon It 

 for support and second, those who are engaged In 

 furnishing the BuppUes which the Industry re- 

 quires. 



The accompanying tables, which show graphi- 

 cally the distribution of the money which the sal- 

 mon canners spend annually Indicates that the 

 first class received the lion's share, $6,600,000 be- 

 ing spent on those employed In the canneries and 

 another $6,000,000 being paid to the men who 

 caught the fish which filled the cans. 



The remainder, as is shown by the accompany- 

 ing table, was distributed among those who furn- 

 ished the materials necessary to the business. The 

 manufacturers of tin plate, cans and solder, re- 



$3300.000 



$1,800,000 



$900,000 



$600,000 



ceived $5,400,000 for the goods which they fum 

 ished those engaged in the Industry. The upkeep 

 of the cannery fleet of tenders, launches and other 

 vessels cost the canneryman $3,300,000, the larg- 

 est portion of which found its way into the i>ock- 

 ets of dealers in gasoline and other fuels, alls, 

 ets of dealers In gasoline and other fuels, oils, 

 tors, $1,SOO,000 being paid alone to those who 

 transported the pack and supplies between can- 

 neries and local centers. A huge Item of trans- 

 portation not shown here, yet which benefits hun- 

 dreds. Is the cost of carrying the pack from the 

 Pacific Coast to the scene of Its final consumption. 



The box makers of the Coast divided nearly $1,- 

 000,000 among themselves while those who car- 

 ried the insurance on pack and canneries and 

 owners of warehouses through which the pack 

 passed in transit were paid $600,000 for their 

 part in the work. 



The printers of the labels In which the 288,000,- 

 000 cans of salmon were wrapped, earned $300,000 

 while a similar amount went to the manufacturers 

 of lacquer and varnish with which the cans had 

 to be coated. 



Fuel, light and power represented principally 

 In tne Item of coal, cost the packers another yMO,- 

 000, while the wholesale gro<-crs who supplied the 

 food served In the cannery messhouses were paid 

 still another $300,000. 



The sum of $4,500,000 which went to cover taxes 

 and general overhead expenses, represents a mul- 

 titude of expenditures for office expenses, the sal- 

 aries of those engaged in the business end of the 

 Industry, thousands of dnllarn worth of office sup- 

 plies and Incidentals. 



An adequate conception of the quantity of some 

 of the principal supplies used by the salmon can- 

 ners In putting up the 1911 pack can be gleaned 

 from a study of the drawing on the following page. 

 Only some of the supplies used in the greatest 

 quantities are shown yet they make an impress- 

 ive array. 



Of tin plate, for Instance, the salmon canning 

 industry required 19,824,000,000 square Inches. Ptg 

 lead was used to the extent of 3,000,000 pounds, 

 and the same amount of pig tin was also consumed 

 in the canning operations. Of zinc approximately 

 300,000 pounds was necessary, while 1.168,000 gal- 

 lons of kerosene oil were consumed. 



The canners chemical bill Is also high for he 

 required among other Items last year, 840,000 

 pounds of acid, and 180,000 pounds of cuastlc soda. 



Al>out 300,000,000 labelx were used, and the cans 

 having been coated with 375,000 gallons of lacquer, 

 were placed In 6,000,000 boxes which were fast- 

 ened with some 240,000,000 nails. 



$ $ $ ^ 



$300,000 300.000 300.00O 300.000 



UBOR FISH CANSSOLOER GENLRAL& CANNWradT TRANSPORT- 

 AaO UC OVERHEAD EXPNS ATION 



TAXES ETC. 



BOXES 



INSUftANCt 

 5T0RAGL 



LABELS LACQUER FUEL LIGHT MESSH0U5E 



fi, POWER SUPPLIES 



