Page Eight
THE FISHERMAN
June 4, 1940
HERE and THERE
\----------i
A good indication of the type of fishermen who have been out fishing bluebacks may be judged by the fact that several boats were seen on rocks at Gibsons, Half-moon Bay and Point Upward. Apparently these persons were as unfamiliar with fishing as they are with the geography of the coast.
The "Ark" is reported to be through the Yuclataw rapids although many; claim it is a miracle. The skipper says they are headed for Alaska and he is going to make record time as he is having a race with the stork. He has his wife and seven children on board.
Reports of delegates heading for the Vancouver headquarters of the PCFU have it that the boats out fishing blueback are few and far between. The highest number seen by anyone was five boats.
Friends of Harold Melyea will be sorry to learn that he is in Rock Bay hospital with bronchial trouble. He is reported to be doing nicely, however.
A familiar figure in the person of Matt Gerard will be mtssed around Stuart Island. He left on June 1st for Heriot Bay, where he has taken up residence.
At a general meeting called in Pender Harbor by the union fishermen, many unorganized men attended and were very impressed with the report given there. They did not know the situation in regard to bluebacks and had been out fishing. However, they are now tied up with the organized fishermen awaiting word from headquarters on negotiations.
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QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS.
News up to date coming from North Island —. fishing is poor, prices low. The discouraging news from the fishing ground has postponed all the early departurea from Skfdegate. The native fleet will not leave until after June 1st. A number of the Queen Charlotte boats are waiting for more hopeful signs before sailing.
Queen Charlotte City has taken on a new breath of life. New people and new faces and the natty uniform of the Canadian Air Force. Logging camps have opened up this locality. Tractor logging is going on and aeroplane spruce is in big demand. The airport at Alaford Bay has increased its personnel and more planes keep coming. A large training school is to start soon. All this is big things for a small town.
SILVA BAY
For many years now your correspondent has been perplexed as to the meaning of the term "news-hound." During the last few months it has been my privilege to have been in fairly constant touch with the editor of the Fisherman, and since that time no lingering doubt is left. If anyone should ask you what "newshound" means take them up to the editorial rooms of the Fisherman and he will find his answer there.
And now for news of Silva Bay. At the time of writing a perplexed and worried bunch of the boys are tied to the Home Oil float—and you are allowed only one guess as to the
chief topic of conversation.....
You're right first time, brother— Bluebacks. And not where they go to, or come from, or how deep, or what spoons, or how fast — but WHAT PRICE. By the time that this appears before you we hope that the main topic will be on<e more depths, speed, spoons and what have you.
A good run of springs which lasted for a month or more has petered out again at the time of writing. This was very probably due to the high westerlies which have prevailed for the last week or so and not to the real disappearance of the run. Bluebacks also have slackened off at Gabriola but we hear good reports from further south, so by June 1st there will probably be another run.
Eddie Silva is using Randolph Thompson's smaller boat this year and is in the process of equiping her with gurdies just now. Good luck to the new venture! Cap. MacLeod was over from Steveston with a party of friends and when the time came to return found himself windbound. Several more of the Rivers boys have been over during the last few weeks — Jim Walters, Harry Steelberry, Ed Peterson, "Hi-Boy" and some others. Some have returned to the river temporarily for last-minute engine or gear adjustments. At least that's their story—but we have our suspicions of these newly-weds or about-to-be-weds! Bert Cazaby now has the "Betsy" in operation and looks forward to a good season here and up north. There is a good troller 32-tt. 7 Easthope, gear, etc., for sale here. Anyone interested might write "F. F.," c/o Silva Bay Store, Gabriola.
And now let's hope that by the next issue your correspondent will be too busy to write and you fishermen too busy to read. That's thirty for tonight.
Halibut Landings
Date        Vessel             Medium Large Chicken Buyer
May 21 Zapora ................15,247— 9.9 2,315—8.5 1,675—8.7 Can. Fish
"   21 Tor ........................                     7,412—10 2,000—8.6 1,346—8.6 B.CP.
"   22 Kuroshio ............14,371— 9J5 1,221—8.7 9,291^-8.4 B.CP.
"   23 Good Hope 1 ......       8,886— 9.6 145—9 6,000—8.4 C.F.Co.
"   23 Cape Blanco ......12,060— 9.6 385—9.6 6,900—S.5 C.F.Co.
"   23 Western Fisher.. 5,624— 9.6 740—9.1 3,400—8.5 CF & CS
"   25 Haid Chief ........15,037— 9.8 65—8 3,335—8.6 C.F.Co.
"   27 Palander 1 ........         5,278— 9.7 315—9 1,034—8.8 CF & CS
"   27 Ryuo 2 ................12,370— 9.8 1,195—9 5,876—8.7 CF & CS
"   27 Mina H...............10,443— 9.6 797—9 7,703—8.8 B.CP.
"   27 B.C. Clipper ......14,885— 98 740—9.2 5,680—8.8 C.F.Co.
"   27 Kamchatka ......11,027— 9.7 175—9 5,940—8.7 C.F.Co.
"    27 Elvin S...............               6,591— 9.7 136—9.5 2,633—8.7 L.F.Co.
"   28 San Jose..............11,354— 9.8 1,390—9 9,240—8.7 C.F.Co.
"   28 Arbory ..................4,363—10 65—8.6 2,000—8.6 B.CP.
"   28 Grassholm ........          8,428— 9.6 700—9 2,048—8.8 B.CP.
"   29 Radiant ..............              4,526— 9.9 200—9 2,000—8.7 C.F.Co.
"    31 Violet P.............13,607— 9.8 566—9 5,936—88 CF & CS
"   31 Arashio ................14,055— 9.7 1,391—9 1,142—8.8 C.F.Co.
"'   31 Isabella H ........ 5,000— 9.8 .................. 1,000—8.5 B.CP.
June 3 Newcastle 4........13,500— 9.6 500—9 3,000—8.6 C.F.Co.
3 Clara M .............. 2,000— 9.9 .................. 1,000—9 Lon. Fish
Bob Wulff, vice-president of the PCFU, seems to have another calling besides trade unionism and that is, stamp collecting. However he's not an ordinary stamp collector because he wins medals and such with his collection. To get to the point, Bob won third prize for stamps of India at the convention of the Northwest Federation of Stamps, held in the Hotel Vancouver last week-end. There were 640 frames on display during the convention and many interested citizens took advantage of the opportunity to see such a valuable display of stamps.
New Cold Storage Plant Constructed At Namu
CORNETT BROS.
SHOES for MEN
Astoria and Slater
i 33 East Hastings St.        SEy. 3690        Vancouver, B.C. i
The new cold storage plant of the British Columbia Packers Ltd., at the company's Namu, B.C. cannery, mentioned in previous Issues of Pacific Fisherman, is being built on a new extension to the old cannery dock, which rests on concrete foundations down to rock. The receiving shed which joins the storage plant will rest on piling.
The cold storage building is 60 by 80 ft., three stories in height, and the receiving shed is 82 by 30 ft., two stories in height. Th§ first floor of the receiving shed will be used for receiving, dressing and weighing the fish; the second floor for boxes and general storage.
The first floor of the cold storage building will be devoted to the sharp-freezing and glazing rooms. There are three sharp-freezing rooms with a total space of 14,750 cubic feet. Each freezer is 12 by 33 by 9 feet in height. The second floor in the new plant will be devoted entirely to the storage of fish and has a total space of 66,-000 cubic feet. Including corridors under storage and part of the first floor there is a total of 115,959 cubic feet which may be used for cold storage.
The top floor will be devoted to ice making and ice storage exclusively. Ice storage space is 24,-658 cubic feet. A one-ton elevator will service all floors.
The buildings are of heavy mill construction, covered with corrugated iron. The cold storage walls are insulated with 8-in. slab cork,
Since the war of nerves has been going on over the blueback situation, the Chinese checkers game an outlet for argument over some-in the PCFU hall has been doing double duty. It appears to provide thing besides fish prices.
Fishermen on the Fraser River are getting well-nigh disgusted. The high boat for profits this week was fifty-five cents. Think we'll all take tc farming or something.
ALERT BAY.
The anniversary celebration of the Alert Bay Local of the UFFU was an outstanding success, as we predicted. However, a more recent celebration was staged on May 24th but all most of the population have to remember it by is a headache.
The cannery is still firly busy About thirty men are working on it preparing for the coming season.
REID AND GALIANO ISLANDS.
The Silvey school was forced to close down early this year because of the illness of the teacher, Miss Biddlecombe.
Gloria Silvey, who was in Lady-smith hospital undergoing an operation, is now home again.
A boom of logs went up on the beach at the south end of Reid Island owing to Fraser River freshets but caused no damage.
John Silvey of Reid Island caught a Tuna fish while fishing around Theites Island and also caught a "mystery" fish which no one has been able to name.
A few spring salmon are being caught around Porlier Pass. Russell Rice of Reid Island has his boat up on the ways for painting. He is getting ready for Rivers' Inlet fishing.
Mrs. Marie Domoston and son, Bunny, of Retreat Cove have moved to Ladner. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Silvey were at Ladner also, visiting.
There have been quite a few digging clams in this area and the buyer is loaded down.
2 in. more than is usually used for insulation.
Two 350-hp., 4-cycle Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines will be used to drive three 50-hp. Westinghouse 440-volt motors, one for each of the three Baker compressors. Two of the compressors are 60-hp., 8% by 8% vertical enclosed, forced lubricated, V-belt driven—a two-stage plant; the other is a 25-hp. booster compressor.
One compressor will be operated for the ice tank, one for the holding rooms and the booster for the sharp-freezing rooms. The compressors are so arranged that one or any of them may be switched to any or all parts of the entire system.
The ammonia receiver will be 24 in. by 16 ft. A Baker type spiral condensor of five stands will be installed. The two sharp-freezers will be equipped with the latest flooded system, operated by float control valves. Each freezer will be capable of maintaining a temperature of from 40 to 50 deg. below zero.
The sharp-freezers are so arranged that the fish enter from a corridor which is kept at a low temperature, and leave by a door at the other end directly into the glazing room. The fish leave the glazing room directly into a low temperature corridor from which the elevator takes them to the storage room on the second floor.
The staircase is located on the outside of the building with entrances at the various floors, thus taking up no space from the storage building proper.
The second floor for fish storage is one room, 56 by 78 ft., and if needed the temperature may be lowered to 10 to 20 deg. below zero. The top floor has an ice storage capacity of 450 tons and is piped for ample refrigeration as low as 10 deg. below zero. This room may be used for fish storage as well as ice storage.
Particular attention is being given to providing accumulators for each of the various floors as well as the sharp-freezers.
The capacity of the ice making plant will be 20 tons every 24 hours. The ice freezing tank is of %-in. welded fron, 12 cans wide by 22 cans long—each can of 260 to 300 lbs. capacity.
The ice freezing room will be equipped with a %-ton capacity electric hoist. The ice crusher is a Link Belt, 40-ton machine. "Ice will reach the dock by chute. At the delivery end a flexible nozzle, capable of spreading crushed Ice to all corners of the boat hold, will be used.
The building architects are Mc-Carter & Nairn of Vancouver, B.C. The refrigeration engineers are George E. Mitchell Co. of Vancouver.
Comments From U.F.F.U. Local 44
Markets Poor, So Need More Gear.
Although much hue and cry has been heard by fishermen's delegates in talks with the operators this season, about no markets and so on, still the building of more and more boats goes on.
Around fourteen new vessels have been added to the fishing fleet which already fills the waters of this coast with too much gear.
If market conditions are as bad as they are cracked up to be, we wonder why the expenditure of some $300,000 on new craft.
1. The new headquarters of the Union have been redecorated and we pride ourselves on having one of the finest union halls in B.C. The recreation room will be fitted up soon for your convenience. Many members dug in and worked on the hall voluntarily, and It is surprising the amount of work that can be done when a few men get together, and put their shoulder to the wheel.
2. To out-of-town members. There is very little to report on negotiations on fish prices for the coming season. During the past week, the Union has been unable to meet with the Operating Committee, owing to some of them being out of town, but we expect negotiations for salmon and pilchards to be well under way very shortly.
3. After a slight dispute on wages, net crews left Vancouver to get their pilchard and herring seines made up. The wages for this work, (pilchard and herring seine nets), has been set at 60 cents per hour, with the exception of the B.C. Packer net loft at Terra Nova where, owing to different conditions, the crews prefer to work on the contract basis. However, the union has decided that eight hours is to constitute a day's work on net work, BOTH ON HOUR AND CONTRACT WORK. Any members working in excess of eight hours will be subject to penalty by the union.
4. Owing to the heavy landings of fish this year, the halibut season in Area 2 is expected to close around July 15th, about two weeks earlier than last year.   The huge
With United Fishermen In States
A sardine conference has been held in San Francisco on May 21st with representatives of the California and Puget Sound Districts of te UFU, boat owners, etc., present. Details of the results of the conference are not available as yet.
The herring operators have offered 6c per barrel per man for this season's operations, or 7c with the fishermen shovelling their own fish and paying their proportionate share of the oil. This was unanimously rejected by the membership and we are now awaiting further word from the operators.
Dividends are up! What about wages?
Regarding Southeastern Alaska: the Industry absolutely refuses to • negotiate with us here in Seattle, and consequently we have sent one of our men, Mr. N. E. Mason, to Ketchikan to act as our representative in the engotiations there. We have been submitted an offer for that district which is a little better than 1939 but not as good as 1937. They have offered us: Pinks, 8c; Chums, 9c; Cohoes, 20c; and Reds, 30c. In 1937 we received: Pinks, 8c; Chums, 954c; Reds, 35c; Cohoes, 22 54c This offer has also been rejected.
increase of small boats fishing this year accounts for part of the increase in landings. Prices in Vancouver have been holding steady between 8 and 10 cents per pound, the improvement over last season's prices being due to depletion of cold storage stocks during the past winter.
5. Some of the halibut fishermen will be interested to learn that fishermen's organizations "south of the border" are asking $165.00 per ton for Albacore this year. Prices paid for Albacore in B.C. last year were $105.00 per ton, and a total of 4000 cases were packed. American fishermen, after a lengthy dispute in '39, went out Albacore fishing without any agreements for $90.00 per ton, but competitive buying jumped the price to $150.00 per ton by the end of the season although buyers had previously claimed that they could not operate at the $125.00 per ton that the fishermen's unions were then asking.
6. The outlook in the fish meal markets, according to the "Pacific Fisherman," is bright. Stocks on hand are much lower than last year, and no Japanese meal is being imported into the United States, owing to the war in China. The bulk of the B.C. output of fish meal finds its way to Middle West markets. Negotiations for pilchard prices are going on now in the States.
7. The appearance of large schools of young pilchards at several points on the Coast is causing optimism among our pilchard fish-men.
8. Regular business meetings of Local" 44 are held each Friday at 7:30 p.m., but members are asked to watch the notice board for special meetings.
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