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Letter to the Editor
The Editor
KODIAK MIRROR
Kodiak, Alaska
The headlines of your May 17 is
sue and the article dealing with
fish prices for the coming season
proved to be a real shocker to sev
eral of us who were here expresslj
for the purpose of negotiating <
settlement, in fact, it left me with
the feeling of being shot down a!
I was about to take the witnes:
stand.
To briefly review the median ici
of arriving at a settlement let m<
explain that the packers as a grouj
are not permitted to bargain wit!
the Fishermens Marketing Associa
tion, we individually meet wtl
their negotiating committee, listei
to their demands, then make ou
offer. Naturally the committee ac
I
cepts what they consider to be the
best offer and that is the price for
the season.
I met with the committee sev
eral weeks ago and spent some
time going over contract changes
but had very little discussion on
fish prices. As was pointed out to
them at that time the Pink salmon
market was in very unstable condi
tion for three reasons, first, the
botulism discovered in some tuna
was having a serious effect on sales
of canned fish of all types, second
ly, there was a large pack of sub
standard canned Pink salmon still
being held in warehouses over the
country, and third, the big 1962
pack of Pinks (1,900,000) plus a
carry over of 300.000 cases from
the 1961 pack.
The combination of these factors
made it impossible to predict what
price we might expect to get for
fish we pack in 1963, and without
some indication of the 1963 market
we could not make a price offer.
In the past two weeks there have
been numerous developments, as
Lloyd Cannon's article points out,
Cordova has recognized the above
problems and settled on a per
pound basis at a very much lower
per Pink cost than in 1962. I must
; take issue with his statement in
which he says: “Cordova fishermen
> accepted a substantial cut in the
■ price they get for Pinks but main
i tained their price for Reds. This is
i probably due to the fact that Reds
• are a substantial portion of their
i catch . . .”
i The record shows the catch of
• Reds was 748.222 with a value of
$1,122,330 to the fishermen.
I
FOR ALL YOUR
Welding Needs
or Problems
Phone 486-5150
KODIAK WELDING WORKS
YOU ARE INVITED TO HEAR
BILL FAIN, of Seattle, Washington,
MAY 26-JUNE 2
in a series of lectures on BIBLE AUTHORITY
Each Evening 7:00 P.M., Morning 1:30 AM.
(Except Sunday Morning—Bible Classes 10:00 A.M.,
Lectures at 11:00 A.M.)
Church of Christ Building
_(Old City Hall)_
The Pink catch was 6,537,041
with a dollar value of $3,431,946.52
to the fishermen. The Alaska De
partment of Fisheries is predict
ing a Pink run of from 8 to 12,000,
000 Pinks for the coming season, so
pinks again should be the money
crop. ,
The most disturbing information
comes in a letter received today
from our sales department—“The
S19.50 price on 48/T Pinks on the
part of California Packing Corpora
tion for their “Silver Bar” and
“Lilly” brands has become more
widespread. So far we have heard
offerings out of San Francisco, Los
Angeles. Illinois, Michigan, Ohio,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. This
certainly gives every indication oi
being a nationwide offer.”
The above may not seem to be
of importance to the fishermen but
when fish costs and other canning
expenses are geared to a $25 sell
ing cost it is easy to see what a
drop of $5 50 per case does to com
panies not backed by large national
corporations. The current price is
the first time since 1954 that Pink
prices have been quoted below $21
per case.
Mention has been made of a
3H% increase granted tendei
crews. This is the first increase
these people have had since 1959
In that same period Pink prices
have advanced from 40 cent to 45\fc
cents—an increase of 13.75% and
Chums from 50 cent to 60 cents—
an increase of 20%.
Mr. Cannon’s statement citini
the fact that canneries “though
singing the blues to the fishermen
now have been able to boast grand
ly to stockholders about their div
idend declarations recently.” I an
sure that statement will be rear
with great interest by every sal
mon cannery owner in the busi
ness. To my knowledge the onlj
dividend declared by any salmon
packer in the past year was a J]
per share by P.A.F. Their state
ment made it very clear the mone3
did not come out of earnings
rather it came from the sale of th<
ship “Neva” to South American
interests.
In looking back through records
of Pink salmon pack prior to the
late 1930’s packs were from to
in excess of 4 million cases each
year and these packs were sold
without too much trouble. At that
time wages were low and the fish
price from 2 to 4 cents each. The
uniform price to the packer was
$3.60 per case and 10 cents per can
was a relatively standard retail
price. Much of this pack was used
as cat and dog food, a market that
has now disappeared.
After the war when packs be
came progressively smaler, the
price of fish advanced rapidly until
it almost reached the cost of a
luxury item. There still remained
enough loyal customers to absorb
a pack of 6 to 700,000 cases at these
inflated prices if the quality was
good.
Our problem at the moment is
that there is on hand twice that
amount and much of it is sub
standard. It might be of interest to
the Kodiak public that the much
criticized limit placed on boats fish
ing for the so-called “combine”
last season resulted in a pack of
518,000 cases. Of this total amount
only 300 cases had to be recondi
tioned. I mention this to make it
clear that the sub-standard fish
now being dumped on the market
did not come from that operation
Our Company has been in busi
ness on Kodiak Island continuous
ly since 1912 and employs more
residents than any other canner in
this district. In 1962 we paid out to
resident fishermen $1,346,578 for
salmon in addition to the monthly
wages to many other resident work
ers.
I sincerely hope we can resolve
this price dispute and continue the
excellent relations we have had
with these people for over fifty
years.
Very truly yours,
KADIAK FISHERIES CO.
By Chas. Turner
General Superintendent
SHOLL TO CHIGNIK
i Cecil Sholl left this week for
Chignik where he will be getting
CLARK’S GARAGE
FOR THE TRULY ENJOYABLE
DEPENDABLE DODGE
GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER
MUFFLERS — TAIL PIPES — BRAKES j
PARTS FOR ALL CARS
486-5244
TAKE A DEMONSTRATION RIDE
■*■* . o...rniia> — —<-• |
SUNDAY SPECIALS
Strawberry Shortcake.... 250 Ea.
Pineapple Pie.600 Ea.
Open Day & Nite
Phone 486—2600
/
fishing boats readied for the sea
son for Chignik Fisheries Co.
THE BUOY UHE
As most if you know by now,
President Kennedy recently ap
pointed Senator Benjamin
Smith, the ex-senator from Mas
sachusetts who stepped down so
Kennedy’s little brother, Teddy,
could run for the office, to head
our negotiating team when we
deal with the Japs and Cana
dians, and re-write the North •
Pacific Treaty.
Smith was given plenty of
prestige; the rank of Ambassa
dor. But, I don’t think prestige
alone is the answer. I can’t un
derstand why the President
overlooked all the capable peo
ple we have right here. Smith,
after all, is from the North At
lantic—and this is a Pacific
treaty.
It is true, and we shouldn’t
overlook the fact that Senator
Magnuson was appointed to help
him, which is good. But the
logic of putting a Pacific Coast
man in the Number Two spot
escapes me. I think the Presi
dent should have appointed
someone to head the delegation,
like the late “Squeaky" Ander
son. One who knows the prob
lems, and with a close personal
interest, could make this a per
sonal fight, like the Japs do. Not
just someone who happens to be
a nice guy, and who has some
thing coming from the Presi
dent.
It seems to me this is our
trouble. We’re busy trying to
be nice guys, while the other
fellows are cutting us to rib
bons.
Senator Bartlett, on the other
hand, is turning up the heat un
der the State Department. He
wants to know why Rusk refuses
to enforce International Law,
which would actually stop the
Japs from fishing crab on our
continental shelf. We’re behind
him 100% on this!
The Japs now are admitting
that they have nearly depleted
the Bristol Bay King Crab fisa
ery; this is why they want to
move down to Kodiak. And I
seriously doubt if the State De
partment will stand up to them.
Because it’s easier not to.
\et. power bargaining is the
only language the Japs under
stand—or respect. We’d better
worry a little less about repay
ing our political debts, the Big
Picture, or our international
popularity, and begin to think a
little more about the cold, hard
facts of survival. We’d better
begin thinking about the fish for
a change before they are gone
and we er all digging clams for
a living.
They can’t take those!
Best regards,
BILL RITTER
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