Page Four
THE FISHERMAN
September 12, 1944
Halibut Unbalance Main Pacifjc Fishery Problem
In an important article on halibut allocation in the August
issue of the Pacific Fisherman, it is stated that unbalanced
distribution of halibut landings continues as one of the most
perplexing problems of the Pacific fisheries under wartime
price controls. ^ . ,,-—-—-~.———
whether they will act to bring
Last year at this time, the article points out, Seattle was getting no halibut, while Prince Rupert and Southeast Alaska were getting it all.
OPA eventually acted to establish a 2%c differential in favor of Seattle. This served to divert an approximately normal flow of halibut to that port. However, the differential of %c per lb. in favor of Prince Rupert over Ketchikan did not suffice to attract American vessels to the Canadian railhead.
As result, the markets of the North Central, New England and Middle Atlantic states were deprived of their normal supplies of fresh halibut, just as the Mountain and Pacific states had suffered last year when Seattle was cut out.
The landings in Alaska were being frozen. Those at Seattle were going to the Army, to the Pacific states, or into freezer for those outlets.
Why did Prince Rupert not get its normal share of the American landings?
First, because the American vessels, fishing without restrictions as to size or frequency of trips, and with the season coming to a rapid close, sought to discharge their fish and get back to sea in the shortest possible time. They just wouldn't go to Prince Rupert under existing conditions for %c more.
Second, so reports had it, the weighing and grading at some of the Alaska ports was mighty attractive.
OPA Disturbed By Trend
It is known that OPA has taken official cognizance of the matter and is studying it closely. Whether anything official will be done to correct the new unbalance this year is doubtful.
The halibut fleet could make the correction voluntarily, of course, and could probably head off federal action; but whether fishermen will see the point, and
IW71 Organizer
deliveries into normal balance, is doubtful.
There are two obvious means which OPA could employ to adjust distribution, it is stated in the article.
First, it could demand that Office of the Coordinator of Fisheries undertake allocation of halibut deliveries between ports, as well as within ports.
Second, it could increase the difference in price between Prince Rupert and Alaska ports. This would doubtless be done by cutting the Alaska ceilings, inasmuch as statisticians say they are still somewhat above the 1942 averages.
Obviously, the fishermen would not like either of these courses.
It is equally obvious that OPA would prefer the second course, and you may be sure that OCF would, too. The latter agency has shown little liking for allocation-within-ports, and the problems of that enterprise wouldn't be a circumstance to those of allocating halibut landings between ports.
Someone may ask: Why should OPA be concerned with the amount of fish delivered to a Canadian port?
That's a fair question; and it has a fair answer. Because the fish is American fish, normally delivered to Prince Rupert in bond and shipped into the States fresh without payment of duty for North Central, Mid-Central, New England and Middle Atlantic markets. Those markets, and the firms supplying them, are complaining to War Food Adminstrator and OPA.
Under OPA ceiling prices and regulations, Seattle can't ship fresh fish to those markets. Only on rare occasions, under existing conditions, can Alaska deliveries be forwarded to Prince Rupert and sent thence by rail.
As a general thing, allocation of halibut between the buyers in the principal ports is particularly true in Seattle, where the official program in effect merely continues along lines previously tested.
f THE ANGLO-BRITISH COLUMBIA ; PACKING CO. LTD.
H. BELL-IRVING & CO. LTD. - Agents VANCOUVER, B.C.
Packers and Distributors of Canned Salmon Since 1891
"The Fishermen's Welfare is Our Welfare"
<» <
I Nimpkish Metal Works j
758 POWELL STREET HAstings 5338
We offer ... A complete Marine Sheet Metal Service, especially designed for the independent fisherman.
f WE SERVICE the FISHING FLEET
< ►
ROY MAH
• In addition to occupying the position of international representative, Roy Man now edits a Chinese edition of The B.C. Lumber Worker, official organ of the International Woodworkers of America. He has been instrumental in organizing several hundred Chinese workers in British Columbia mills and camps since starting as organizer last year.
FISH PRICES
Fifty Years Ago
Aug. 30, 1894.— The season's sockeye pack amounted to 445,000 cases, about 150,000 less than in 1893. The Fraser River contributed 217,000 cases and 128,000 came from the north. At least three-quarters of the whole pack had been contracted for in the United Kingdom but final prices had not been agreed upon.—Van. Sun.
Back the Attack Speed the Victory
Produce ! Produce ! Produce I
FISH PRODUCTION VITAL WAR SERVICE
Suppling food for the United Nations has been one of Canada's big services to the anti-Axis cause, and the Fishing Industry has pulled its full weight in the production job. Today, demand for food is still more urgent, not less. Canadian Fish is needed in huge and steady quantity—Fish for Britain, fish for other United Nations, fish for domestic needs. The needs is a new challenge to everybody in the Fishing Industry. Keep driving, everybody- Don't slacken for even a day. Back the Attack by Canada's Fighting Men. Speed the Victory through production.
Every Possible Pound of Canadian Fish is Needed
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES
OTTAWA
Hon. Ernest Bertrand, Minister.
Nazis Murder Lublin Jews
Not a single Polish Jew has remained alive in the city of Lublin, according to Vassili Grossman, the noted Soviet correspondent for Red Star, as reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from Moscow. The slaughter of the Jews in Lublin, Grossman declared, has no parallel in world history.
"I heard much groaning and saw rivers of tears in Poland, but no groans or tears of Jews. There are no Jews in Poland. They were all butchered — from graybeards to new-born infants. Their bodies were burned to ashes. In Lublin, a city formerly inhabiting over 40,-000 Jews, I didn't see a single Jewish man, woman or child."
Red Star Correspondent Grossman further established that the Nazis erected over 30 "death houses" for Jews.
Tens of thousands of Jewish victims were poisoned or choked by gas, and their bodies conveyed to special electrical ovens that turned them to ashes-Some of these "death houses" were located at the following places: Fonari near Vilnius, Bol-shoi-Trostinetz near Minsk, at Belzhitz near Rava-Russka, and at Novi-Dvor near Sobiror.
At Sobiror they murdered the Jews transported by the Nazis in special trains from France, Holland, Germany, Belgium and Austria.
The Sobiror death factory was moved to Chelm. The location of the death factory was destroyed by the Germans during their retreat. The soil was plowed, the corn planted in order to cover traces of the monstrous crimes.
SIMPLEX ENGINES
ARE DEPENDABLE
Simplex Model S4R2 4-cyl. Marine Engine will turn a 19x16 wide blade propellor at 950 RPM, with 2 to 1 reduction gear.
These Dependable Engines Now Available for Fishing Craft From 30 to 200 HP.
Simplex Engine & Manufacturing
CO. LTD.
1865 West Georgia St. Vancouver, B.C.
Always "The Best for Less";;
VANCOUVER, B.C. WRITE FOR CATALOGUES
I Western Leckie Ltd. f
DISTRIBUTORS of
• Barbour & Knox Salmon Gill Nets and Twines
• "Knox" K.X. Super Cotton Seine Web
• •Tmperi" Cotton Ropes and Twines
• "Finlayson's" B.C. Leader Line
• Tarred Halibut Lines
• West C-^ast Trolling Equipment
HEADQUARTERS for COMMERCIAL FISHING EQUIPMENT AND MARINE HARDWARE
148 Alexander St.
Vancouver, B.C.
• • •
EASY LESSON
In wartime, more people are working
so consumers can't get all they want
and workers need higher wages
and the vicious spiral of inflation gets started
money buys less and less
and there is more money to spend
but half of what Is made is for war
and people will bid more for what is available
so prices go up . • •
costs of production go up
KODUCTION COSTS
and producers and
dealers need higher prices
but wages and salaries don't catch up with living costs
the spiral grows — -*( and the sky is the -
hardship and confusion sweep over factory, farm and home
To Protect Us All from the Rising Cost of Living
and the Disaster of Inflation
and nobody is permitted to take advantage of the war to get more than his share
