This shows the actual canning. Women are largely employed in the canneries for this particular part of the work. They become very skillful and are able to make very good wages, the sum usually depending upon the number of crates they are able to fill per day. Tests for weight are made while the cans are being filled and if any are found under weight they must be refilled. The lidding process follows. Some years ago the lids were placed by hand, then the cans run over a belt through a machine which soldered the lids. In late years most of the canneries have been provided with a new machine which entirely eliminates the soldering process. The lids are placed and crimped on automatically by one stroke of this machine. It is a most remarkable labor saving device, doing the work much more quickly and efficiently than the old soldering method. The cans are then stacked in crates and placed in a retort heated to the proper temperature. This drives the excess water and gases from the flesh, but the temperature is not hot enough to drive off the rich oils. The lids are then punctured and after the water and gas are freed the small holes are soldered and the cans again placed in a retort and the cooking process takes place. After cooking, the cans are cooled and stacked in the warehouse to await the lacquering, labeling and boxing for shipment.
This slide shows a view of the warehouse with thousands of stored salmon tins. The cans are lacquered as soon as possible. This is also done by a machine through which the cans are run, coating them with a thin layer of lacquer which prevents rusting while stacked in the warehouse or on the shelves of the retail merchant. The final process is the labeling, which in the larger canneries is done by a labeling machine. The cans are run by belt through paste and the labels are rolled on the cans are dumped out as fast as two men can carry them away. Some canneries are provided with a weighing machine for the final testing of the finished product. The scales are very delicate, tripping off to one side the cans that are even very slightly under weight. These must be properly labeled as under weight and not sold with the general standard weight lot. Before shipment the cans must be crated. The cases or boxes in which the cans are packed for shipment come to the canneries knocked down and must be assembled and nailed. In the best grade of salmon the cans are often wrapped in paper by hand before packing in the cases, as shown by the slide.
This represents a group of small fry salmon of the average size released from the hatcheries. There is no question that the federal and state governments should support in the highest possible degree the work of the hatcheries, for upon the artificial propagation of salmon and other food fishes depends in a large measure the future of the fishing industry of this state and an important source of food supply for the nation.