FOUR MILLION DOLLAR OPERATION
Story of the Settlement Service
EXPANDING SERVICE Fish sales with a gross value of nearly four million dollars were represented in settlements made through these modern new offices of the Vancouver Fishermen's Settlement Service in the Fishermen's Hall last year. Service staff members shown in this picture are Thomas C. Roberts, chief clerk, and Mrs. Kay Flostrand, bookkeeper-machine operator. In his varied .career, Roberts has worked in the Canadian Pacific Express accounting department, done research and publicity work for the Alberta Farmers Union, and been a union official, secretary of a civil liberties organisation and a magazine editor. He joined the Settlement Service staff in June, 1961. Mrs. Flostrand, an office worker with 17 years' experience, is the wife of Lars Flostrand, former halibut fisherman. Settlement Service employees are members of the Office Employees International Union.
THE Vancouver Fishermen's Settlement Service was established by written agreement between the Fishing Vessel Owners Association of BC and the United Fishermen's Federal Union, Local 44, on February 8, 1942 in Vancouver. (The UFFU, Local 44 in 1945 became part of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union).
Signatories to the agreement were Harold Christenson for the Vessel Owners and William Burgess for the Union.
A board of trustees was set up, composed of two members from each organisation. The Union was represented on the first board by Carl Dybhavn and Ole Martin, and the Vessel Owners were represented by Charles Prince and Tom Dybhavn.
However, the Settlement Service didn't actually begin operating until a year later, with an office in the Fishermen's Hall, 138 East Cordova Street, Vancouver, with the late Val Christie as its first manager.
The first settlement was made with the White Hope on February 9, 1943 with Pete Jensen as captain and owner. The second settlement was with the Cape Blanco under Captain Adolph Pederson.
Previous to 1943, fish caught were sold to fishing companies which sent their
cheques in payment for the fish to the supply houses. The supply houses deducted purchases of gear and foodstuffs and turned the balance over to the owners, skippers and crew members.
For the supply house this method entailed considerable accounting and bookkeeping, which eventually they decided to discontinue. No settlement sheets, such as we know them today, were issued at that time and details of the settlement were not available for checking as they are now.
The Vancouver Fishermen's Settlement Service was established to solve these problems and to protect the legitimate interests of all concerned.
Bookkeeping and records from that time on were centralised. Payments were made by and through the Settlement Service in accordance with contracts between the Vessel Owners and the Union. A detailed record was kept which enabled any and all concerned to check for information, verification and error.
The settlement sheets as issued by the Vancouver Fishermen's Settlement Service, have in fact proven to be a unique and exemplary service to the industry.
See SETTLEMENT—Page 12
WHITE HOPE' LED FLEET
THE White Hope was the first vessel to make a settlement at the Vancouver Fishermen's Settlement Service. This took place on February 9, 1943, after a cod trip to the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Owner and captain was Pete Jensen. The crew consisted of Charlie Batt, Fred Vindberg, Olaf Wick, Ove Nelson and Albert Eriksen.
This crew, all originally from Prince Rupert, are all alive today and still fishing. Charlie Batt and Albert Erik-sen are still on the White Hope with Pete Jensen.
The White Hope was built at Prince Rupert drydock. She was used for halibut, packing salmon and longlining in general.
We were able to secure interviews with some of the original crew of the White Hope.
"In 1942 we sailed through a mine field near Kodiak Island, Alaska without knowing it. The boat drew nine feet of water and the mines were at 12 feet.
Pete's wife, Margaret, gave the wife's viewpoint.
"It's a worry when they're out," she said. "You don't hear from them and you wonder what on earth has happened. It's a relief when they phone.
"They got a radiotelephone on the White Hope in 1942. They used it when the ship struck a rock and started to sink. Pete phoned me in the
Pete Jensen
EP. (Pete) Jensen, now 61 ♦ years old, was born on the east coast of Jutland, Denmark, on April 28, 1902. "My people were farmers," he said, "and I spent four years study-, ing agriculture before leaving home. I came to Canada in 1923 and worked in the woods and mines for a while.
"It was always my wish to go to sea, and I started out in 1926. My first boat was the Bingo. I was such a greenhorn that I had to get someone else to run it for me until I learned.
"It's been a good life. But we had our tough times, too. In 1931 I made 14 trips in one season, cashed $750 and went another $750 in the hole.
"Things have improved greatly since then. Fishing has been good in the past 15 years, better than anyone expected. It is well organised with a steady market and there haven't been many ups and downs since then.
"Would I do it all over again if I had the chance? Certainly I would!
"I've been very fortunate and haven't had any losses. Had a couple of close calls, though.
"In 1932 or 33 I fell overboard while in Hecate Strait. Fortunately I am a strong swimmer and I didn't have to stay in the water very long before the boat turned around and picked me up.
«v ~*\V.
OLAF WICK was  a  crew member on the White Hope in  1943 and has been skipper of the Caamano Sound since 1960.
middle of the night. The boats searching for them had a hard ' time locating them."
Pete was hospitalised in 1960 for five months with obstruction of an artery, but made a good recovery. Last winter he was out for five weeks and he plans on going out again this year if his doctor doesn't object.
Slim and clear eyed, with a soft voice and a quick smile, his looks belie his 61 years.
With his family, Pete lives at 2525 Jones Avenue in North Vancouver. Two of their girls are married (one of them still goes out to the grounds with her father), while a son and another daughter are at home.
Charlie Batt
CHARLES BATT, 66 years old, was born in Newfoundland. His father was a fisherman and both his father and brother were drowned while fishing. Charlie came to Prince Rupert in 1921 and moved to Vancouver in 1939. With his wife he lives at 2020 East 45th Avenue, Vancouver. Their two girls are both married.
Charlie has been on the White Hope since 1939 and the Union delegate all this time. "Almost a record, I guess," said Charlie.
"I started fishing in 1921," remarked Charlie. "On my first trip I went in the hole $40. I was going to quit then. But on my next trip I did well so I decided to stay.
"All my fishing experience has been longlining, for black cod, halibut, dogfish for livers and soup fin. Things were bad during the depression. Since 1939 it has been pretty fair—no real bad years. We've had good times and bad. I love the sea myself.
"We had a close call in 1942, while on the White Hope. She hit a reef at Munro Island, up the coast toward Rupert. She just settled down in the sand. It was real foggy.
"We put the dory off and went to the beach where we built a big bonfire. There was no water on the island but we
'WHITE HOPE' CREW Pictured here in the Settlement Service offices are (left to right): Albert Erickson, White Hope crew member in 1943 and skipper last year; Charlie Batt, boat delegate since 1943; and Pete Jensen, owner of the White Hope, and his wife, Margaret.
found a bit in a cliff breakage. We had salvaged some coffee and food.
"We stayed there two nights and a day. It looked gloomy for a while, but we managed to patch up the White Hope and refloat her. A tug towed us to Namu.
"We had 19,000 pounds of fish
on board and didn't lose any of it.
Albert Eriksen
ALBERT Ericksen, 57 years old   and   originally from Denmark, was cooking on the
See 'WHITE HOPE'—Page 10
Supplement
VANCOUVER FISHERMEN'S SETTLEMENT SERVICE
21st Anniversary
THE FISHERMAN February 21, 1964