ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 323 



the American side of the North Pacific, emphasize the conclusion expressed in my 

 auiinal report to Congress, that long before tlie exjiiratioaof the five years, when the 

 legulatious enacted by the Tribunal of Arbitration are to he submitted to the 

 respective Governments for reexamination, the fur seal will have been practically 

 exterminated. 



My answer to the first inquiry is, therefore, that the operatiim of the articles of the 

 Bering Sea Tribunal for the regulation of tbe fur-seal industry of Alaska has not 

 resulted in saving the fur-seal herd from that destruction which those articles were 

 intended to prevent. 



As to the number and sex of Alaskan fur seals killed during the past season by 

 pelagic sealers, I have to state that of the American catch of 26,095 seals, 3,099 were 

 males, 15,976 females, and 7,020 pups and seals the sex of which was unknown. Each 

 seal landed in the United States was carefully examined as to sex by experts appointed 

 by the Department. 



Of the catch of the British Columbia schooners of 95,048 seals, as reported by our 

 consul, only those killed in Bering Sea— 26,425— were classified as to sex. Of these, 

 11,723 were reported as males and 14,702 as females. 



AVith rc^ference to the present condition of the fur-seal herds on the Pribilof Islands, 

 I have to report a dangerous decrease. Information on file in the Department indi- 

 cates a falling off of at least one-half during the past four seasons. It thus appears 

 that the condition of the Alaskan fur-seal herd is most critical. All facts point to 

 its speedy extermination unless the present regulations, enacted in the award of the 

 Paris Tribunal, are ch:mged at an early date, so as to aftbrd a greater measure of 

 protection to the seal herd. 



In reply to the inquiry concerning the revenue derived by the Government from 

 the fur-seal herds during the past season, and the expenditures during the same 

 period in executing the requirements of the Paris av.^ard, I have to state that 15,000 

 seals were taken on the Pribilof Islands in the year last past, and 1,031 remained on 

 hand from last year. The amount to be paid by the lessees of the islands, according 

 to the provisions of their contract, on or before April 1 next, will be $214,298.37, the 

 items being as follows: 



Rental -$60,000.00 



Tax of $2 per skin on 16,031 skins 32,062.00 



Bonus of $7,625 per skin on 16,031 skins 122,236.37 



As to expenses, I have to state that the honorable the Secretary of the Navy reports 

 that the expenditure incident to the presence of the United States naval vessels in 

 Bering Sea during the past year was $158,188.25. The expenses attending the pres- 

 ence of the revenue steamers Bear, Corwin, and Bush aggregate $40,116.24. The 

 amounts named do not include the pay of otficers or men or the rations supplied to 

 them. Of the $1,500 appropriated to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to pay 

 the necessary exi^enses of enforcing the provisions of section 4 of the act approved 

 April 6, 1894, under which two ex^jerts were employed to examine and classify 

 pelagic seal skins, the sum of $250 has been expended. The salaries and expenses 

 of tiie agents of the Seal Islands, whose duties would require them to be present on 

 said islands without regard to the Bering Sea controversy, have not been included 

 in jn-eparing this answer to the resolution. The aggregate expenses would, there- 

 fore, seem to be $198. 554. 49. 



In this connection I have to state that suit has been instituted against the North 

 American Commercial Company for the recovery, under the terms of its lease of the 

 Seal Islands, of the sum of $132,187.50, covering the season of 1893. The company 

 named, under its lease, is required to pay the sum of $60,000 per annum rental, $2 tax 

 on each seal taken, and, in addition, $7,625 for each seal skin accepted. It is claimed 

 by said company that, as it was denied the right to take the number of seals con- 

 templated at the time the lease was executed, by reason of the operation of the 

 modus Vivendi, a reduction in the rental and in the item of $7,625 per skin should 

 be made. This claim, under advice of the Attorney-General, has not been admitted 

 by the Treasury Department, and, as hereinbefore stated, suit has been instituted. 

 I find that the following balances for the years specified are due from said company 

 nnder its lease, notwithstanding the fact that my predecessors have accepted pay- 

 ments in less amounts than those mentioned in the contract hereinbefore referred 

 to: 1890, $47,403; 1891, $133,628.64; and 1892, $108,686.52. 



Action by this Department on the above-mentioned unpaid amounts will be deter- 

 mined by the result of the suit pending for the amount due for the year 1893. 

 Respectfully, yours, 



J. G. Carlisle, Secretary. 



Hon. Charles F. Crisp, 



Spealcer of the Rouse of Representatives, 



