The Wrangell Sentinel

FISH BIDS TO BE HELD OPEN FOR A TIME

Bids were received last Sunday at Red Men Hall by the Stikine Gillnetters Association for their catch of cohoes for the 1946 season. Buyers present were: Norman Nelson of Vancouver, B. C., representing Nelson Brothers Fisheries; E. G. Johnson of Seattle, representing the Whizz Fish Company of Pelican City and Seattle; Morris Shapiro of Shapiro Fisheries, Chicago; and William Oxenberg of Oxenberg Brothers, New York.

Terms of the contract called for by the Gillnetters Association were that the buyers have tenders on the grounds by August 10 and buy fish only from bona fide members of the Association; that the buyer would receive the entire output of the Association's catch and that the buyer place a $15,000 bond in the local bank for the protection of the Gillnetters' Association in case tenders failed to be on the ground at the proper time. It was also stipulated that no raise on any bid could be for less than a quarter cent.

Mr. Johnson opened the bidding at 12 cents, the price obtained by the gillnetters last year. Mr. Nelson raised this figure to 13 cents and Johnson later matched this, as at a previous meeting the gillnetters had voted that identical bids would be accepted with the Association voting on which buyer they would sell to at a meeting following the bidding. This arrangement, however, seemed unfavorable to the buyers so a vote was taken by the 26 members present and it was moved by Charles Michaelson and seconded by Harry Sundberg that the fish be awarded the highest bidder.

Johnson and Nelson, however, did not raise the bid the required quarter cent and the bidding was closed.

At a meeting following the bidding it was decided by the gillnetters to reject the 13 cent figure and keep the bidding open for another week or ten days.

Shapiro and Oxenberg did not offer any bids.