152 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



at Fairliaven, AVasli., removes the head, tail, and fins, and opens and 

 thoroughly cleans the lish read}^ to cut into pieces for the cans. Fish 

 that are dressed by the cleaning machine require less inspection than 

 those cleaned by hand. 



Gutting thejinh. — Having undergone examination to insure cleanli- 

 ness, the lish are pitched upon a table, attached to which is a machine 

 that cuts them into proper lengths to fit the cans. This apparatus 

 consists of a number of knife blades semicircular in form, with 

 the sharp part on the convex side. The blades are set in a wooden 

 roller or axle, and so arranged that they can be set at any desired dis- 

 tance apart, thus cutting the salmon into lengths to fit either "tails" 

 or "flats," as the case may be. A fish is placed under the row of 

 knives and the handle attached is brought down with a quick stroke, 

 which cuts the fish transversely into pieces corresponding to the num- 

 ber of knives. In canneries where full lines of machinery are installed, 

 this method has given way to the rotary cutting machine, which con- 

 sists of gang knives set in an iron axle or cylinder kept in motion by 

 belt and pulle3^ The cylinder is attached to the top of an elevator, 

 the same power running both. As the lish come from the third v/ash- 

 ing, the}'^ are carried to and under the revolving knives by the elevator. 



In man 3^ instances the "butcher" room is situated some little dis- 

 tance from the main building, and the fish, after being dressed, are 

 taken to the elevator in push carts. Some canneries have iron tracks 

 leading to the cutting machine, and small hand cars are run for carry- 

 ing the fish. 



The introduction of cutting and filling machines has greatl}^ increased 

 the capacity of canneries; combined, they take the place of about 25 

 men. Formerl}^, after leaving the gang knives, the fish were cut into 

 proper sizes to fit the cans by means of a long knife wielded bj^ a 

 Chinaman who stood at a regular butcher's block and with quick 

 strokes cut the sections of salmon in uniform sizes. From 2 to 4 men 

 were thus employed. The pieces were either dropped into a basket or 

 thrown into a wooden bin. 



The tail piece is rejected by the rotary cutter and falls into a chute 

 leading awa}' from that into which the other portions are dropped. 

 The ver}^ large tail pieces are utilized to some extent, but b^'' far the 

 greater number are thrown away. If salmon were less plentiful in 

 Alaskan waters, it is very probable than only a small part of a fish 

 would be rejected, but the tail portion is of small value as compared to 

 the middle and head sections, and could not very well be placed iu the 

 same can without injuring the sale of the product. If packed under a 

 distinct and separate label, however, there seems to be ho reason 

 why the tails should not be put on the market. 



Counting the fish. — Some canneries ])a3^ the fishermen a monthly sal- 

 ar}^, others pay a certain price, according to the species, for each fish 



