Fish Exchange Seattle, Is Fought
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Federal Judge Jeremiah Net
erer recently signed an order re
quiring the Seattle Fish Ex
change to show cause why an
injunction sought by the Chase
Fish Company should not be is
sued to enable the firm to pur
chase fish on the floor of the
exchange, a right the suit de
clared has been denied it for the
past year or more.
Violations of the Sherman
anti-trust act and operation of
a monopoly in restraint of trade
were charged against the ex
change and its- eight member
firms in the suit filed by Mat
thew Stafford, counsel for the
Chase Fish Company, Pier 5.
Henry J. Tillman, president of
the exchange, denied the
charges.
The suit set forth that in 1931
the Seattle Fish Exchange hand -
led all but 50,000 pounds of the
1G,000,000 pounds of fish shipped
through the Port of Seattle, and
that the Chase Fish Company
was denied membership in the
exchange and the right to pur
chase halibut and other sea
foods.
Cites Local Prices
It further charges that this
action of the exchange is per
versive of interstate commerce
in fish and that the Exchange
as now operated has virtually
monopolized the fishing indus
try. Recent prices of halibut on
the Exchange, according to Mr.
Stafford, was 4% cents a pound
for “mediums” and 3 cents for
‘ chickens,” as against 15 to IS
cents a pound on the retail
market.
The complaint was filed undei
the Clayton act, giving individ
uals or private firms the right of
injunctive relief from violations
ct the Sherman act. Members
cf the Seattle Fish Exchange are
the Booth Fisheries Company,
Washington fish Company, Mc
Callum-LegftZ Fish Company,
Sebastian-Stuart Fish Company,
New England Fish Company,
San Juan Fishing & Packing
Company, Edwin Ripley & Sons
and Whiz Fish Products Com
pany.
Exchange Makes Answer
“The Chase Fish Company has
never been denied the right lo
purchase fish by any act of the
Seattle Fish Exchange,” said
Henry J. Tillman, president ot
that body. “The Chase company
is not a member of the Exchange
and cannot trade on the floor
any more than I, a non-member,
could buy or sell on the floor of
the New York Stock Exchange.
1 can buy and sell stock through
members of the Stock Exchange
and Mr. Chase can buy fish
through members of the Seattle
Fish Exchange.
“The Exchange members havt»
no monopoly, There are several
halibut schooners in today.
There is nothing to prevent
Chase dealing with the captains
of these vessels, just as many
others do, and as he has done
before.”
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Striking Fishermen
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The gillnetters of Columbia
River have abandoned all plans
for a strike for better prices.
They made every effort to ob
tain 9 cents per pound for king
salmon and they have agreed to
sell their catches to the can
ners on the open market. In
other words they will sell to the
canners who finance their sum
mer’s operations.
While no prices were quoted
it is believed that the best
grades of salmon will bring 7
cents per pound.
King salmon may be purchas
ed in the butcher shops today at
19 cents per pound. What the
prices on the trolling grounds
will be has not been announced
However those who follow the
commercial end of the business
believe that large reds will
bring not more than 5 cents a
pound and whites, 1 cent a
pound if and when they are
bought. But it will go lower!
With the price of meat, eggs
and chicken at a low maximum
it is futile to attempt to hold
the price to inflated values. To
attempt to force up prices by a
concerted strike would be a
wasted effort.
The buyers are short of mon
ey and find it difficulty to se
cure loans for their operations.
The consuming public can ab
sorb only so much fish at high
er prices. The greater mass of
consumers are unable to pur
chase halibut or salmon at 25
30 and up to 50 cents a pound.
They can purchase meats at 8
cents a pound and naturally
they turn to the lower priced
commodities.
The outlook for the resident
fisherman this vear is certainly
nothing to be optimistic ovei.
It is no better for the halibut
fisherman or the seiner.
Already the fishermen are
talking of living on the beaches
putting up small gardens, fish,
clams and meats. Following tne
law of self-preservation they
will have to follow such a pro
gram.
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TROLLER STRIKE SPREADING
TIES UP HUGE FLEET
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Claiming they cannot operate
with the salmon price at 5 cents
a pound, trollers of the Pacific
Northwest are refusing to fish
and a strike which may throw
3.500 men out of work and tie up
2.500 boats is threatened.
The Trolling Vessel Owners’
Association has not officially
called a strike, but the men are
acting independently and refus
ing to fish at the present price.
The expenses of a troller
range from $50 to $100 a trip
and the vessels are losing money