748 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



It is certain, in brief, that no white laborers could live and work on these terms, and that no 

 cannery could be run in the present state of things with any profit with other than Chinese labor. 



The Chinese come in April and go in August, and comparatively few return. Each man is 

 employed directly without the intervention of agents of the Six Companies or any other person. 



As a rule, the Chinese work very faithfully. They are neyer engaged in drunken riots, and 

 their work is very uniform. On the other hand, they are not, as a rule, devoted to their employers. 

 If dissatisfied, " they are the hardest class in the world to manage." They would " use a knife for 

 2 cents." There are not half a dozen Chinamen that " I would dare let their pay run over a 

 day after due." They are inveterate gamblers, and their wages go from one to another as earned, 

 to pay gaming debts. Some of the canners take pains to continue employment for such Chinese 

 as show themselves tractable, in order to have leaven for next year's lump. 



The white fishermen tolerate the Chinamen in the canneries because they know that the can- 

 neries must close were it not for them. It is, however, the unwritten law of the Columbia that 

 any Chinaman daring to fish for salmon is to be killed on sight. So they do not fish. 



The canneries employ from 100 to 200 Chinamen each. Badollet & Co. paid last year $13,000 

 to Chinamen. The entire amount paid by all canneries yearly to Chinamen is nearly $300,000. 



6. PROFITS AND LOSSES OF THE CANNERIES; RECLAMATIONS. 



PROFITS. The business of canning salmon partakes more of the nature of a speculation than 

 of a legitimate manufacturing business. That it shall not be run at a loss demands, of course, 

 that the profits for the time being shall be very great. The season is only three and one-half 

 months long, and the buildings, machinery, and outfit must lie idle for the rest of the year. The 

 rate of interest is extremely high (12 per cent, or more), and the danger of loss through strikes in 

 the active season is great. Finally, most canners are not strong enough to resist the necessity of 

 forced sales through the action of speculative combinations. These men depress the market when 

 the year's " put-up " is ready for sale. The bankers who furnish the money furnish it for " manu- 

 facturing and not for speculating purposes," and the canner is forced to sell for what he can get, 

 unless strong enough to hold over, in which case the profits are reduced by loss of interest, or 

 unless strong enough to ship directly to England. 



Outside of losses through strikes and speculative combinations arc several minor leaks, which 

 may destroy all the profits. 



RECLAMATIONS. All cases exported are guaranteed, and security is given for the return of the 

 money paid for all cases proving faulty. Whenever, through any means, a can is not perfectly 

 sealed the salmon in it decays, pushing up the top. The can is then called a "swell-head." 

 Sometimes such a can bursts and often the whole case is ruined by it. Great losses are thus often 

 sustained, especially by those new in the business, from want of foremen and others fully competent 

 to supervise the business. Two large canneries (at least) have been driven into bankruptcy 

 through the great number of "swell-heads." One firm lost 35 per cent, of its shipment to Liver- 

 pool. The average reclamation amounts to 2 to 3 per cent. With some of the best established 

 firms it is less than 1 per cent. 



OTHER LOSSES. Besides faulty canning one source of swell-heads is this: Some salmon are 

 often left over from one day to the next and in the morning more are brought in. If these are 

 piled on the first, the latter are left still another day, during which time they spoil, and if canned 

 are still rotten salmon. If not canned they are a dead loss. Much inonetf has been lost from not 

 attending to the salmon in the order in which they are received. 



