ALASKA INDUSTEIES. B43 



DIVISION OF MONEY DUE NATIVES FOR TAKING SKINS. 



Before leaving the islands you will divide the total earnings of the natives for the 

 season's catch among them, according to such classification as you may deem fair 

 and just after conference with the company's agent and the natives, and make a 

 report of such division showing tiie amount apportioned to each native partici))at- 

 inginthe "conununity fund," accompanied hy an indorsement from the com])any 

 agents and the two head chiefs that such sums have beeu passed to the credit of the 

 natives on the books of the company. 



KILL1N(; OF SEALS ON THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 



You will use whatever endeavor is possiV)le, by making known more generally the 

 law on the subject, to prevent the killing of seals by the Aleuts on the shores or in 

 the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands. While the Department would be glad to ]ier- 

 mit these natives to carry out their wishes, it is not possible to do so, as the law is 

 imperative and limits to the Pribilof group of islands the power of the Secretary to 

 authorize the taking of seals. 



NATIVES. 



The care and Welfare of the natives are matters which should receive your careful 

 attention. While it is not believed that the officers of the company desire other than 

 the fullest compliance with their obligations, you are, nevertheless, expected to 

 inform yourself as to whether there has been, either through thoughtlessness or care- 

 lessness, any neglect in conforming, both in letter and spirit, to those provisions of 

 the lease referring to the natives. It is but just to all parties concerned that you 

 acquaint yourself with the prices charged at the company's store as compared with 

 the prices charged in the San Francisco market ; also the quality and quantity of the 

 articles supplied. 



SALMON SUPPLY. 



The attention of the company has been called to the fact that salt salmon were 

 furnished, while the lease provides for dried. You will inform yourself as to what 

 proportion of the salt fish supplied last year was not used, what amount of dried 

 sahnon was provided for this season, and what are the Avishes of the natives, bear- 

 ing in nund that they are sometimes changeable in their tastes. 



FUEL. 



In addition to the 80 tons of ooal furnished under the lease, contract has been made 

 with the company to supply 220 tons additional, making a total of 300 tons, 100 tons 

 of which is for the use of St. C4eorge and 200 tons for the use of St. Paul. This coal 

 must be distributed under the direct supervision of the Government officer on each 

 island. By reason of this generous provision on the part of the Government it ought 

 not to be necessary for the natives to make additional purchases of fuel. 



WIDOWS AND INDIGENTS. 



Your especial attention is called to that clause of the lease which states that the 

 company "will also provide the necessaries of life for the widows, orphans, and 

 aged anil infirm inhabitants of said islands who are unable to provide for themselves," 

 and you are informed that the Department understands that this clause includes 

 widows and all other persons, regardless of age, sex, or condition of ]>arentage, Avho 

 are i)hysically unable to provide for themselves. The " necessaries of life" referred 

 to therein include fuel as well as clothing and subsistence. 



SANITARY IMPROVEMENTS, ETC. 



Under that clause of the lease by which the company binds itself to exercise " all 

 reasonable efforts to secure the comfort, health - * * and promote the morals 

 and civilization of said inhabitants," the company have been asked to instruct their 

 superintendent upon the islands to cooperate with the Government agent in determin- 

 ing the most efi'ective method of improving the villages from a sanitary standpoint, 

 both in the matter of furnishing a better water supply and in the removal from the 

 immediate vicinity of the villages from time to time all excrementitious matter, the 

 same, if possible, to be the subject of a joint report to the Department at an early 

 date. 



