FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY. 



PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 

 GEISTERAL ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. 



In the calendar year 1922, 31,156 sealskins were taken en the 

 Pribilof Islands. With the exception of the year 1918, when 34,890 

 skins were secured, the take was the largest since 1889. The washino; 

 and blubbering of sealskins on St. Paul Island, which was firsi^ 

 undertaken on a commercial scale in 1921, was continued more ex- 

 tensively in 1922, when nearly 16,000 were so treated. Extensions 

 were made to the washing and blubbering plant and to the St. Paul 

 salt houses. Work on the new water system for St. Paul village 

 was continued, and the building of a road suitable for motor trucks 

 from that village to Northeast Point was undertaken. On St. 

 George Island improvements were made to the village landings, 

 new building construction was undertaken, and the electric lighting 

 system was extended to include the entire village. The practice of 

 feeding foxes on St. George Island was continued, and steps were 

 taken to secure the services of an experienced man to develop the 

 fox herds on both islands. The regular annual supplies were trans- 

 ported to the islands by a commercial vessel instead of by a Navy 

 vessel. The Coast Guard maintained a patrol of the waters of the 

 North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea and in addition rendered the 

 fur-seal service valuable aid by transporting passengers, miscellane- 

 ous freight, and mail. The bureau's vessel Eider made a number 

 of trips from Unalaska to the Pribilofs in the winter and was kept 

 steadily employed throughout the regular sealing season. The usual 

 seal census was taken and included this season a count of all the pups 

 on both islands. 



OFFICIAL VISIT BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE. 



In connection with a general trip to Alaska, an official party 

 headed by Hon. C H. Huston, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, 

 visited the Pribilof Islands in July. Mr. Huston, accompanied by 

 Ward T. Bower, field assistant. Bureau of Fisheries, Dr. Leonhard 

 Stejneger, United States National Museum, Lieut. Ellis Eeed-Hill, 

 engineer officer, United States Coast Guard cutter 3Iojave, Joe L. 

 Baker, special assistant, and Capt. C. E. Lindquist, arrived at St. 

 George on the United States Coast Guard cutter Algonquin July 11 

 . and after making an inspection of the station and seal life, pro- 

 ceeded to St. Paul Island where they arrived July 12. Dr. Stejneger 

 and Captain Lindquist left on the Algonquin the same day. The 

 others remained at St. Paul Island until July 19 when they took 

 passage on the U. S. Coast Guard cutter Mojave. During the week 

 at St. Paul Island close attention was given to all the details of the 



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