278 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



practice for many years to prohibit the use of sugar, claiming that the 

 natives are liable to abuse the ])rivilege and make quas. If this dan- 

 ger has existe<l in times past it does not now exist to any great extent, 

 and it seems unjust to punish a whole community for what one or two 

 ignorant persons may do. I bad several conversations with the chiefs 

 and principal men on that subject, They express a strong desire that 

 their people might be permitted to purchase sugar, and I was fully 

 assured that they would use their best endeavors to see that the privilege 

 was not abused. In my ju<lgment the pliysical decline of these people 

 is largely due to their mode of living, and they will become much more 

 robust when they are permitted to purchase good, substantial food 

 instead of depending almost wholly on seal meat and crackers. 



In the past they have been cared for very much as an animal would 

 be cared for by its owner. Their physical necessities have been in the 

 main fairly well supplied, but their moral, social, and civil rights have 

 been almost wholly ignored, and they have been treated more like beasts 

 of burden and slaves than as American citizens. Had a policy of kind- 

 ness to the nativ^e man and protection to his wife and daughter been 

 pursued in the past we would, no doubt, find them much further 

 advanced in civilization and a much more healthy and useful people; and 

 while there has been considerable imi)rovement in many respects dur- 

 ing the last year over what it must have been but a short time previous, 

 still there is need of a decided stand to be taken by the Government. 

 Its ofQcers should be given power to remove any person from the islands 

 who is insubordinate or who violates the laws of decency or in any 

 way interferes with the civil rights of the natives. I find these people 

 civil, obedient, kind, and easily governed, and any system of labor or 

 government which tends to degrade their family relations or takes away 

 or destroys their rights as American citizens ought not to be tolerated. 



Hygienic and sanitary conditions on both islands are much in need 

 of improvement. The lessees should be required to provide each family 

 with a suitable outhouse, and the system of cesspools now in use should 

 be abandoned. The company claims it is not a part of their lease to fur- 

 nish these outhouses, but I would respectfully call attention to that 

 part of the lease which says the lessees will use "all reasonable efforts 

 to secure the comfort, health, education, and promote the morals and 

 civilization of said native inhabitants." 



I endeavored to establish a system of inspection, and requested the 

 physicians to act as sanitary officers and report each day on the sani- 

 tary and hygienic conditions of the villages, and to suggest such im- 

 provements as they might deem necessary; but I was at once given 

 notice that the physicians were company employees, and any reports 

 they had to make would be made to the company's agent only. The 

 physicians are, above all others, fitted by education and experience to 

 intelligently report upon these subjects and suggest remedies, and 

 while those now on the islands are very good men and, I believe, are 

 fairly well qualified to perform their duties, yet it has not always been 

 so, and I most earnestly recommend that hereafter they may be subject 

 to Department regulations. The houses on St. Paul Island are suffi- 

 cient to accommodate the natives. Many of them are in need of repairs, 

 which I was informed by the company's agent would be attended to in 

 a few days. The houses on St. George are not sufficiently numerous to 

 prevent overcrowding, but I was also informed that this would be 

 attended to this coming autumn. 



Especial attention is invited to the schools on the seal islands. They 

 have been in operation over twenty years, and yet they have not sue- 



