Barker Letter Books Volume 1

Barker Letter Book Volume 1 Page(s) 1 - 4 AEmilius Jarvis November 8, 1905 McKinnon Building, Toronto, Ont. Dear Sir:- None of your valued favors unanswered. I have heard nothing recently from Mr. R. Kelly regarding any action taken by Mr. Sloan, as the result of your meeting the Government. As I informed you, I called on Mr. Kelly immediately on receipt of your letter containing the memorandum of what the Government agreed to do, providing Mr. Sloan endorsed it, and the request that he wire his endorsement, or better, that he go East and stay there until the Order in Council was made. I told Mr. Kelly that our Company would guarantee any expense attached to the trip. The next day Mr. Kelly sent up for a copy of the Memorandum for Mr. Sloan: I sent it together with extracts from your letter, and asked Mr. Kelly to arrange for a meeting with Mr. Sloan, as I would like to talk over the matter with him, but have heard nothing from either Mr. Kelly or Mr. Sloan. I however, have seen both the Wallace Bros., and Mr. R. Drainey and they have seen both Kelly and Sloan, they and the Bell-Irvings have given me to understand that they have endorsed all we have said and done. I have seen Mr. Sweeny several times since his return, he seems to agree with what has been done, but seems to think the newly appointed Commission should act in the matter and that the Government will follow their recommendations. In the meantime the people who intend building at Rivers Inlet and Skeena are going ahead with their preparations. Buttimer and Dawson have engaged the Manager we had at Wadhams Cannery; they give him a quarter interest and pay him the same salary. Our Manager at the Brunswick Cannery is a brother of Buttimer's, they, Buttimer and Dawson have bought the Carlisle Cannery on the Skeena, which they intend to run. We understand that they will get our man Buttimer to manage this plant, so we will lose both Managers from the Rivers Inlet Canneries. Mr. G.I.Wilson is going in with Mr. Bain, and they are making preparations to build, so there will be three new canneries on Rivers Inlet, Buttimer & Dawson, Wilson & Bain, and Todd, the latter place is already built. All three places have ordered their Tin-plate and some other supplies. Wilson & Bain and Buttimer & Dawson have asked to rent our pile-driver to drive their pilings next Spring, so if there is nothing to stop them, there will be seven Canneries on Rivers Inlet instead of four. On the Skeena River, Malcolm, Cannon & Co., are building now - have some of their buildings up - Another new man named Jorgenson intends building in the Spring. As before stated, Buttimer & Dawson have bought the Carlisle Cannery, which is a good one line Cannery situated just above "Wallaces" Claxton Cannery. I am afraid that if the Government waits for the newly appointed Commission to report, that it will be too late, or as they will have to give all a hearing, that the monopoly cry will influence their report, or be apt to. Has the Government acted on the Bella Coola petition or proposition, to give us exclusive fishing for the Burke Channel, providing we build a salmon hatchery on the Bella Coola River ? If they do not act soon, some foolish person may take it into their heads to divide that place with us, and it is nip and tuck to make one place pay there. We did fairly well there last year, and the fish are of excellent quality. As you put in the application I feel a little delicate about writing the Government, but will do so if you think I ought to. It looks to me as if everything was drifting, but first thinking we know we will have all kinds of opposition. Pardon me for bothering you about these matters, but I feel as if something should be done very soon, or it will be too late. We are getting along shipping off goods and whittling our Bank balance down. On the 2nd. Nov. we had shipped 152,723 Cases and we owed both banks $874,661. We will ship 28,000 cases to England in a steamer in a few days and a lot goes out to Australia in a day or two, and overland shipments are going all the time. By the middle of the month we should get our bank accounts down to $600,000.00. We are not selling very much as prices are rather high, but the market is getting better, and nearly all outside the Selling Agreement, have taken advantage of our prices and cut just a little, they are City of Richmond Archives. British Columbia Packers Limited fonds, Series 2, File 1. about all sold out, including Mr. Todd who sold 5000 cases a short time ago and cut our price I/- per case. We feel satisfied with the market however. We have the bulk of the stock. However, we sell a little once in a while and get the price we are asking. We have bought our Tin-plate for next year. We will prepare for 200,000 cases, half of this amount is for the North and the balance for the Fraser River. In case of a good run North we could ship cans North, as the fish run earlier North. In case of a better run on the Fraser than we expect, we could bring any cans not used down. Hoping that we will fill them all somewhere, I remain, Yours respectfully, William Henry Barker W.H.B. City of Richmond Archives. British Columbia Packers Limited fonds, Series 2, File 1. Barker Letter Book Volume 1 Page(s) 5 - 6 C. Sweeny November 8, 1905 Hotel Butler, Seattle, Washington Dear Sir:- Replying to your favor of the 7th inst., I beg to say that after considering the extension of the weekly close time to 48 hours, I cannot say that I favor it. It seems to me that if we cut down the depth of nets, restrict fishing above New Westminster Bridge, if not prohibited, watch the spawning beds to see that the"Sockeyes" that do not catch, get a chance to spawn, we are doing pretty well. A 48 hour weekly close time, with all trap fishing, as the weekly close time is kept by trappers, does not make as much loss to the trap owner, as a 36 hour close time does as religiously kept by Gill-Netters. You can readily understand that a trap is a fixture, is all in the water. The leads hearts are all in, close time and all. The tunnel is lifted, even if the pot is lowered to the waters edge, yet in a measure, it is fishing some. I think that the Washington State Officials tried to enforce the law in the past season, but after all the keeping of the close season with the trappers, depends a great deal on the operator. One man, often two, are always kept on trap. I mention this to show why the Puget Sound people might want a long close time, as it does not hurt them as much as we, and they would be profited equally by the fish we do not catch. As it is now, we have little work on Monday's when fish are scarce. It seems to the writer that a 36 hour weekly close time, properly enforced, is enough when you only have three or four weeks fishing. Yours respectfully, B.C. Packers' Association. General Manager. William Henry Barker W.H.B. City of Richmond Archives. British Columbia Packers Limited fonds, Series 2, File 1. Barker Letter Book Volume 1 Page(s) 7 - 9 E.W.Rollins, Esq. November 10, 1905 19 - 21 Milk St. Boston, Mass. Dear Sir:- Your favor of the 2nd. inst., contents of which have been carefully noted. Note that you are a little surprised that our Bank account was reduced so quickly. We can assure you, none too quick for us, as our interest account was heavy. Sept. 6th our balance at the Banks was $1,337-367: Oct. 10th, $1,190-000; Nov. 2nd. $874-661. The Australian Steamer sails today, and one of the Holt's Blue Funnel liners is now loading a lot of our Salmon. We expect to have our account down early next week to $600,000: perhaps less. Our bank balance now is a little over $800,000: I have not the exact figures for it is changing all the time. We had shipped on the 2nd. inst., 152,723 cases of Salmon of all kinds for which we have received over $800,000; so you see we are shipping and realizing all the time. Our bills payable are not very heavy, so that our account will be reduced right along. The Bond issue has bothered us some, principally in insurance on plants and getting deeds for some realty sold, belonging to some dismantled plants, but the Bonds will be retired and the Guarantors released the first of the year. As the Canneries have been delayed in casing up their packs, and a few of them are as yet closed up, we cannot make any change with District Managers until the end of the year. The writer will lay his plans before the Board as soon as possible. We have ordered our Tin-Plate for next year's requirements. We will prepare for a 200,000 case pack, half on the Fraser River, balance North.

Load more