Cobb. — Fisheries of the Pacific. 73 



surprising how much ground they have covered and the 

 length of time devoted to the work. One of them went to 

 Alaska, thence to Pugct Sound where he worked in one of 

 the home codfish stations where the fish were prepared for 

 market; then to Gloucester, Mass; thence to Norway, from 

 which country he expected to sail for home, his work having 

 occupied two years' time. 



And what has our government done in the meantime to 

 improve our methods of preparation and to find an export 

 market for our fishery products? 



As to the first, it extended a little aid during the stress of 

 war in teaching those Alaska herring packers who wanted 

 to pack Scotch cure, and also did a little experimental can- 

 ning work at San Pedro, California, but all this has now been 

 abandoned for economy sake. 



As to the second, but little has been done to aid our ex- 

 porters. A few persons have been sent abroad at times to 

 look up certain fishery matters. One, possibly two, investi- 

 gations were made which really produced results, but with 

 the exception of these the rest were barren of results. 



If we are ever to greatly diversify our canned fishery 

 pack, it will be necessary for the federal government to 

 come actively to the aid of the packers in finding markets, 

 both domestic and foreign. The great increase in our 

 wealth which would result ought to be ample justification 

 for the government's undertaking the work. 



In this matter, we should take a leaf from the Japanese 

 book and send abroad properly trained men who know what 

 they are after and are able to understand preparation 

 methods when they see them and who are also fitted to 

 follow the products clear up to the consumers, if necessary, 

 in order to see if these cannot be rendered even more attrac- 

 tive to them. 



Another way in which the government could aid our fish- 

 ermen and fish preparators, would be by a judicious system 

 of loans covering a long period of time and at a reasonable 

 rate of interest. The government has gone into the farm- 

 loan business on a large scale, and there are, in my opinion, 

 no reasons why the same kind of assistance can not be ex- 

 tended to the people who develop our fisheries, or who de- 

 sire to do so, but lack the money necessary. 



