| Summary: | HERRING FISHERS GIVEN NEW HOPE. HERRING FISHERS GIVEN NEW HOPE Hopes for salvage of the declining Puget Sound herring industry loomed brighter today following return of Col. W. C. Bickford, Port manager, from Washington, D. C., where exhaustive survey of the situation by the Port of Seattle was presented to the United States Fisheries Commission with a plea for immediate remedial measures to stabilize the industry which in the past years has meant many millions of dollars to Seattle’s industry and labor. Bickford and United States Senator Lewis B. Schwellenbach presented the case of the herring industry to the State Department a week ago, stressing necessity for either an increase in tariff on Iceland and Norwegian herring, or a quota arrangement under which the pacific Northwest can maintain its average production of past years. Confident of Action The Port Commission, which has been working on the problem for many months, said the Schwellenbach is confident that government authorities will act to save the situation. “Loss of the vital industry, due to commodity surplus, economic and tariff conditions beyond local control, has proved exceedingly costly not only to the Port of Seattle but to Seattle labor, shipping, and many industrial payrolls,” said Port President Smith M. Wilson. “The Port has made has intensive study of the situation in collaboration with waterfront groups, herring industry leaders, packers, steamship operators, labor unions, barrel manufacturers and independent fishermen. A real fight to save this industry for Seattle has just begun,” Wilson added. Digest of Case “The Port Commission’s presentation to the government was a complete digest of the past and present condition of the herring industry, ably supported by statistics derived from the United States Department of Commerce. It stated in part: “The Alaska herring business concluded 1936 in a troubled condition, traceable not so much to the decline in the pack, which was slightly above the ten-year production of 44,700 barrels, as to the competition of foreign imports, a limited and controlled market, and production costs out of line with probable return. “Due to increase of foreign competition in 1937 it was necessary to reduce the pack to 8,413 barrels, some of which still remains in storage. This compares with 139,157 barrels in 1925, 54,205 barrels in 1932, 65,588 barrels in 1935 and 46,142 barrels in 1936.” Importation Heavy Wilson said that the herring industry is a politic source of employment of labor and warrants the backing of all concerned to save the industry from destruction by foreign competition and unfavorable market conditions. “Under present conditions, particularly unfavorable to the Alaska Puget Sound herring industry, America imports most of her herring requirements. “Total imports of herring in 1936 were 33,633,498 pounds. “We believe that if we can stabilize our markets that the herring industry alone will go a long way to put many of the unemployed to work and will be in conformity with the endeavors and aims of the President,” Wilson asserted.
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