144 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



1315,300, There were also employed Y51 gill-net boats, 107 dories 

 and skiffs, 74 scows, and 5 pile drivers, valued at $168,275. Connected 

 wdth the fishery were 25 small steamers and launches, ranging in size 

 from 2 to 118 tons and valued at ^111,118. 



In recent years the cold-storage plants have received the largest and 

 best chinook salmon, which they bought for 5 cents per pound for 

 fish weighing less than 25 pounds and cents per pound for fish 

 weighing 25 pounds and over; in some instances 7 cents a pound was 

 paid for choice fish. In consequence of the advance in price paid by 

 the cold-storage plants, the packers have not alwaj's been supplied 

 with fish as large as desired for canning purposes, and the cannery 

 men have found it more profitable to dispose of the especially large 

 fish to the cold-storage plants than to can them. To protect themselves 

 and in the future to be able to handle all grades of fish, many of the 

 cannery firms are arranging to have cold-storage and mild-curing 

 plants connected with their establishments. Alreadj^ a few have done 

 so, and should the demand for mild-cured and frozen salmon continue 

 to increase as it has in the last few years, it is predicted that in a short 

 time all the canneries on the Columbia River will be constructed for 

 handling both frozen and mild-cured fish. 



It will be noticed by referring to the accompanying tables that the 

 pack of steelheads for Oregon in 1903 amounted to a little over 7,000 

 cases. This decrease in quantity was owing to tlie large demand for 

 frozen fish, a large portion of the catch being utilized in tliis manner; 

 the cold-storage plants handled nearly 850,000 pounds, or 12,500 

 cases. 



At times shad are plentiful in the Columbia River, but they are 

 chiefly taken incidentally in traps and seines. There is comparatively 

 a small demand for this fish, and large numbers are allowed to escape, 

 although some shipments are made to Portland and various points on 

 Puget Sound. As an experiment, the Sanl)orn Cutting Company, of 

 Astoria, recently packed 1,292 cases of shad, l)ut so far as is known 

 there has been little or no sale for them. The fish were prepared, 

 packed, and cooked in the same manner as salmon, and it is believed 

 by the packers that could a market be created for this product, an 

 industry of considerable importance would result. 



The packing of salmon bellies and tips is an experiment undertaken 

 b}^ the Tallant & Grant Packing Company, of Astoria. Two hundred 

 cases of each were put up in 1903, a case holding 4 cans, the weight 

 of each can being 12^ pounds, or 50 pounds of fish to the case. The 

 price of a can of bellies is $2.50, or $10 a case, of the tips, 11.50 a can, 

 or $6 a case. Only a small portion of a fish is used for this purpose, 

 the remaining part being packed in the usual way, and it is onh^ when 

 salmon arc scarce that they arc put up in this manner. It is under- 



