126 



ARGUMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



H. Poland. — As to intermiiigliug: 



That the three classes of skius above 

 iiieutioned [Alaska, Copper, aud North- 

 west] are easily distinguishable 

 153 from each other by any person 

 skilled in the bnsiuess or accus- 

 tomed to handling skins in the raw state. 



That the deponent has personally han- 

 dled samples of the skins dealt in by this 

 firm, and would himself have no diiificulty 

 in distinguishing the skin of the Copper 

 Island catch from tlie skin of the Alaska 

 and North-Avest catch. — ^(United States 

 Case, Appendix, vol. ii, ii. 571.) 



I admit that amongst the Copper Island 

 catch there is a certain percentage of 

 skins which are for tiie most part uudis- 

 tinguisliable from the Alaska (or Priby- 

 loff Island) catch, although that percent- 

 age would be difficult to ascertain. At a 

 guess I should say that it Avas not more 

 than 30 per cent., but of course the fur of 

 some of these would be less dense. I have 

 also noticed in the Alaska catch that 

 there are in some particular years skins 

 which are undistingnishable Irom Cox>- 

 per Island skins. — (British Counter-Case, 

 Appendix, vol. ii, p. 250.) 



William Charles Blatspiel Stamp. — As to intermingling: 



That skins of these several catches 

 [Alaska, Copper, aud North-west] are 

 readily distinguished from each other. 



Tiie dift'erences between Copper and 

 Alaska seals are difficult to describe so 

 that they cau be understood by any per- 

 son who has no j)ractical knowledge of 

 furs, but to any one skilled in the busi- 

 ness there are apparent differences in 

 colour between the Copper aud Alaska 

 skins, and a difference in the length aud 

 quality of the hairs Avhich compose the 

 fnr, aud there are also apparent slight 

 differences in the shape of the skin. The 

 difference between the skins of the three 

 catches are so marked, that they have 

 always been expressed in the different 

 prices obtained for the skins. — (United 

 States Case, Appendix, vol. ii, p. 575.) 



William Charles Blatspiel Stamp. — As to prohibition of pelagic 

 sealing: 



In my opinion, there is no absolute line 

 of demarcation between the Copper 

 Island skins and Alaskas, and in inspect- 

 ing the consignments made each year 

 from the Pribylofl' Islands, through 

 Messrs. Lampson and Co., I h;ne found 

 a certain percentage of skins which were 

 facsimiles of Copper Island skius, and in 

 tlie same way, inspecting consignments 

 of Copper Island skins, I have seen skius 

 which had I seen them elsewhere, I should 

 have clnssed as Alaskas, and also a cer- 

 tain nnniber of the intermediate degrees 

 of similarity. — (British Counter-Case, 

 Appendix, vol. ii, p. 245.) 



That the continued existence of the fur- 

 seal business is dependent, in deponent's 

 judgment, iipon the i^reservation of the 

 seal herds frequenting the North Pacific 

 region, and is also a most important ele- 

 ment in the industry, that the supply of 

 seal-skins coming into the market each 

 year should be regular aud constant. 



* .V n n 



That some Regulations are necessary 

 for the preservation of the seal herds fre- 

 quenting the Northern Pacilic region. — 

 (United States Case, Appeudix, vol. ii, 

 p. 571.) 



I am not in favour of the suppression of 

 the North-Avest catch. In my opinion it 

 would be neither just nor practicable. It 

 would not be just, because I consider that 

 the Caujidians have a right to catch the 

 seals frequenting the sea adjoining their 

 own shores, and which feed to a large 

 extent on the food there found, provided 

 they do so in a proper manner. 



I think it would be impracticable, be- 

 cause the only effect of entire prohibition 

 would probably be to cause the Canadian 

 schooners to register under the flags of 

 other nations. 1 am of opinion also that 

 theNorth-Avest catch is a very important 

 element in the market in keeping the 

 price of the articles within the reach of the 

 ordinary consumer. — (British Counter- 

 CasB; Appendix, vol. ii, p. 245. "> 



