Page Four
THE FISHERMAN
February 25, 1941
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EDITORIALS
THE
FISHERMAN
FEATURES
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THE
FISHERMAN the march of labor
Published Every Other Tuesday by Thg Fisherman Publishing Society at 164 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone MArine 1829.
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Convention Highlights
There are twenty-two days left until the opening of the UFFU convention. Inside of these twenty-two days the reports of officers will be prepared, which will record the union's grogress for the past twelve months.
During this time also the membership will be busy discussing the problems to be thrashed out at the convention. Resolutions will be coming in from the rank and file covering constitutional amendments, and the important questions outlined in the convention call, which was carried in this paper last issue.
There is no doubt that the future policies and program of the union will hold the centre of attention at the convention. The chief question will immediately be the defining of a clear-cut position on collective bargaining and signed contracts.
The extensive organizational program to build the union's section up to full strength will receive considerable study and, together with wages, prices and workmen's compensation, will form no small part in a prepared plan to boost the union's activity and progress during the coming season.
In the light of the past year's experiences, and the program that will be adopted for the coming year, there will be many constitutional amendments in order to bring the constitution in line with the advanced program, and to correct certain weaknesses that have manifested themselves during the period since the last convention.
Conservation of our fisheries will again be up for discussion. Many of the delegates will have new problems to discuss, and further ideas on practical steps to be taken, to ensure adequate escapement to the spawning grounds will be developed.
On the whole, this convention should prove to be the most important ever held in the history of the B.C. fishing industry and there is no doubt fishermen of this coast will be keenly interested in the policies and program finally drafted by the union's third annual convention.
University's Program In Cooperation
The three field representatives of the University's Extension Department report an increasing interest in the educational program in co-operation. Fishermen all along the coast are realizing that this program affords a real basis for progress in the solution of their problems. For this reason they have organized numerous study clubs at which they are taking up the possibilities of cooperative purchasing, marketing, and "co-operative financing" through the credit union.
No gillnetter would stand idly by while a seal took salmon out of his net. Yet many of these men are "going in the hole" every season in order that the canners may have fish. The credit union will help these "sharecroppers" of the fishing industry to escape from bondage, to obtain gear through their own organization and sell on a competitive market. It will assist gillnetters and "swivelnecks" alike in building up capital with which to undertake other co-operative enterprises for the purchase of gear and the marketing of fish. A fisherman has been called a professional optimist; is he optimistic enough to see how he can handle his own needs in his own "racket?"
The credit union is an easy way of making dimes and quarters mount up until it can meet even the heavy expenses which fishermen must incur. How else can you explain the fact that many credit unions in the United States have gathered together an average of $15,000 each during less than six years, have each made, on the average, 218 loans in a single year? How is it that nearly 200 credit unions have been formed in Nova Scotia in eight years, and have accumulated $678,000? MANY STUDY CLUBS FORMED.
The University men report that study clubs are now operating at Port Alberni, Bamfield, Ucluelet, Tofino, and Quatsino on the West Coast, and that there is every possibility of a West Coast credit union being formed in the next few months. Four credit unions were organized on the Queen Charlotte Islands last spring, and another was formed at Rupert. This year study clubs on the Islands and at Rupert are continuing to investigate co-operation's possibilities-. Five groups
exist in Prince Rupert alone. There are fifteen more on the Queen Charlottes, and thirteen others at Digby Island, Porcher Island, Osland, Bella Bella and Bella Coola. Malcolm Island Credit Union is embarking on further co - operative studies, while Alert Bay, Heriot Bay, and Hornby Island are also busy centres for the educational program. Various groups in the Fraser River area are hoping to join the North Arm Fishermen's Credit Union in a very short time, when their investigation of the credit union is finished. Lund and Stuart Island are "under way." These are only some of the communities which account for the sixty-five fishermen's study groups now functioning. Go to it, fishermen! Take advantage of the University program when the Extension workers reach your district; keep with it, if they have already done so.
Same Old Problems
Three Nova Scotia inshore fishermen, after toiling from daybreak to noon, landed 423 pounds of fish.
The Halifax Herald prints the following report of what happened:
For the catch, the fishermen were paid $3.68.
From the $3.68 the fishermen had to deduct $1 for delivery to market, leaving $2.68 to pay for three men's work, gasoline, bait, and upkeep of boat and gear.
Of the 423-pound catch, 324 pounds were sold to retail customers.
The consumers paid for those 324 pounds of fish a total of $30.20.
Housewives paid almost ten times the gross earnings of the fishermen.
Whether or not the circumstances in this specific case were exceptional we do not know. But study of prices paid to fishermen and prices paid by the consumer over a period of some weeks shows a very wide gap indeed.
Many Nova Scotians wonder why the Dominion government, while guaranteeing western wheat prices, fails to enquire into the plight of the fisherman, who, in pursuing his calling, often endangers his life. •
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Early History Of Alaska Fishermen's Union
By ANDREW VIGEN
Secretary, Alaska Fishermen's Union
DISCONTENT among the 700 fishermen of the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay, Alaska, 38 years ago raised a question, the answer of which is the Alaska Fishermen's Union, an organization which now has a paid-up membership of more than 5,000 men in years of normal operation.
In Bristol Bay from the open sea, millions, of red salmon, the salmon of commerce, the salmon turned into millions of dollars by the canners, answer the call of Nature and run in an almost solid flood into the rivers of Bristol Bay, in the spawning season.
It is for the needs of human consumption that men go out in boats, at times risking their lives, for these precious fish, of which millions are caught and canned every year. It happened that in 1902 there was general complaint among the fishermen concerning conditions and pay. The fishermen at that time were batted about by the superintendents and were told that unless they delivered the goods, they would be penalized as to their pay. They received only two cents per fish for red salmon and were told where they could go if they did not like it.
However, a change came over the dream of the cannery men. The fishermen decided one day at Nushagak River to make a fight for better conditions and fish prices. So the 700 fishermen went to the canners in Nushagak and placed before the magnates one simple proposition. They had signed in San -
man from the Cape Nome District, was elected Secretary and I. N. Hylen was chosen Chairman.
These two men arrived in Seattle on the first ship from the Far North that year and they explained to the companies the action taken on the agreement up North, but they soon found that the canning companies in Seattle refused to recognize the new three-cent agreement. As a result, the strikers' earnings were held up. This rebuff, however, did not stop Hylen and Rawlings. As founders of the union, they decided to see it through. Initiation receipts in the new union were printed in order to catch fishermen coming down from all parts of Alaska.
The first vessel to reach the Port of Seattle after the arrival of the union leaders was a ship from Chignik, Alaska. Every fisherman on board, after hearing the bad luck of their brothers from Bristol Bay, Instantly bought a membership card in the union as soon as he was paid off. The first receipt of the union, sold in Seattle, bears the name of Nels Sorensen, and is dated September 4, 1902.
Francisco for two cents a fish; they demanded three cents right from the start of the run. "No increase in pay, no canned salmon," the fishermen said. The fishermen stood firm. The red salmon season is short. There was no time to send to San Francisco or any other port to recruit the service. A mass meeting of the fishermen was held on Nushagak beach. They tied up their boats and declared themselves. Presently a new agreement was drawn up whereby the companies agreed to pay three cents a fish. The fishermen returned joyfully to their boats, singing a song composed by Dr. Evans of Nushagak to the tune of "Marching Through Georgia," of which the following were lines: "We have put upon the rack All the Kings of Nushagak, All in the interests of Labor." FIRST UNION FORMED.
This celebrated mass meeting was held June 30, 1902. Word of the bold stand taken by the Nushagak fishermen spread like prairie fire, and soon all the fishermen on the other rivers in Bristol Bay joined hands and decided they would form a Union of Alaska Fishermen. J. B. Rawlings, attorney, miner and fisher-
There is an old saying, "It takes all kinds of people to make a world." Like a whole lot of other old wise-cracks I don't agree with that saying. We could have a whole lot better world without a lot of kinds of people who go to make up our world of today.
Of course, there are all kinds of people in the world; that is, all the kinds we know about, and we have to do our best to get along
without getting rid of very many kinds of them but still we could get along without lots of them.
For instance, the so-called union member who, when he speaks about the policy of his organization makes some such remark as, "It depends on what you guys do" or "If you guys had done so-and-so" instead of saying it depends on what we do or if we had done so-andso.
Any guy who uses the second person, plural or singular, in speaking about a union of which he is a member, is not a union man at heart even if he thinks he is.
1 1 i
About a month ago I attended a meeting at Sunbury with Art Wirick, field worker of the U.B.C. Extension Department. In the course of Mr. Wirick's remarks he told the following story which, while it may be rather old, will never cease to be food for thought for anyone who has a mind to think Singood — 1917 with and is not too lazy to use it to
think with.
Some few years ago an Indian in Oklahoma had lots of land and lots of ponies and some cattle, but no money. A group of his neighbors decided that it would be a good idea to pool their interests and drill a test hole to see if there was oil in the neighborhood. They went to our Indian, who we will call Big Noise for want of a better name, and wanted him to come into the pool by putting up $1,000 to help defray the expenses of drilling the well.
Big Noise thought the idea was alright but didn't have the money. The guy who had the drilling rig and was promoting the deal told him to go to the bank and borrow it. Well, Big Noise had never had any dealings with banks, but he went to the bank anyway and asked the manager to loan him $1,000.
The manager said, "Of course we'll let you have the money, but you must have security."
Big Noise didn't know what was meant by security, but the banker explained that he would have to give him a mortgage on something of a lot greater value than $1,000—so that if he, Big Noise, didn't pay back, the banker could sell whatever the Indian mortgaged to get his money.
"Well," Big Noise said, "I have 500 acres of land." But Mr. Banker said: "That's no good for security; land is too plentiful and cheap." "Well," Big Noise said, "I have 500 ponies."
"Alright," said Mr. Banker, "You give me a mortgage on your 500 ponies and I'll let you have $1,000," which was done, and the test hole went in. Lo and behold! they struck oil!
Big Noise sold a lease on his land for $20,000 cash and went to the bank and paid off his mortgage. Then Mr. Banker found out Big Noise had nearly $19,000 in cash and asked him to deposit it in the bank.
At first Big Noise didn't understand what Mr. Banker meant, but finally he got the idea that Mr. Banker wanted him to leave his $19,000 with him in the bank. Well, Big Noise had never gone to school and he couldn't read or write, but he could think, and he did think for a while and then he asked Mr. Banker, "How many ponies have you got?"
How To Identify Some Common B.C. Clams
(Continued)
(Continued Next Issfue)
RAZOR CLAM.
The razor or razor back clam is found only on the surf-swept beaches of the open west coasts of Vancouver and the Queen Charlotte islands. It is one of the few clams that can burrow into the beach with any degree of rapidity. Most bivalves seldom move once they are entrenched in their burrows, only the "neck" being extended to or withdrawn from the surface of the beach. The razor clam is used only for canning in British Columbia, out small quantities are sold on the fresh market in the United States.
The long, narrow, thin shells are covered with a distinctive shiny brown periostracum. They may reac ha length of 6 inches and a height of 2% inches. This species must not be confused with the small "Jack-knife" clam which it resembles and which is found on sandy beaches along 'the Straits of Georgia.
GEODUCK.
The g e o d u c k (pronounced "gooeyduck"), though not at all abundant, is a clam that arouses considerable interest. The securing of this species, which is none too simple because of the great depth in the beach at which the beast lives, is considered a sport. Indeed, in Che State of Washington, there is a "bag" limit of three per day, with regulations govtertiing the metho'd of Capture.
The habitat of the geoduck is confined to fairly well protected sandy beaches. The meat of the geoduck is very tasty and may be prepared in a similar manner to other shellfish.
The shell of the geoduck is nearly rectangular in shape and the deeply engraved concentric lines give the outside of the shell a rugged appearance. Parts of the white shell, particularly the edges, are covered with a thin light brown periostracum. On the inside of the shell, the muscle acsrs are quite small considering the size of the animal, but the pallial line is very broad with a shallow pallial sinus. There is a single tooth on each valve. In the living animal, due to the peculiar anatomy, the shells always gape, showing a body light brown in color. The "neck" is so large that, like that of the horse clam,
it cannot be withdrawn into the shell. In the larger specimens the neck can be extended to a length of 3 feet or more and that is the depth to which one must dig to secure these extraordinary creatures.
"It's getting late," remarked the first fisherman, "and we haven't a single fish."
"Well," replied his companion, "let's get two more big ones get away and then go home."
