ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 177 



St. George instead of 25,000, the legal number allowed, and that every 

 year since the number shipped has fallen a little short of 100,000. 



Policy of the Alaska Commercial Company. — The company 

 has wisely adopted a fair and liberal policy in its dealings with the 

 natives, and is more than repaid for the expense incurred by the 

 increased ease and rapidity with which they work while taking skins. 

 I examined carefully the books and papers of the companj^, both at its 

 office in San Francisco and upon the island ; also the record kept by the 

 Government agents, and talked i^rivately with the most intelligent of 

 the natives, but I was unable to discover by so doing that there has 

 been any fraud practiced toward the Government or want of compli- 

 ance with the terms of the lease. The natives keep a jealous watch 

 upon the seals, being fully impressed with the fact that their welfare 

 depends upon the safety of the fisheries, and they are also well informed 

 in regard, to all laws and contracts Which have been made by the 

 Government concerning them. 



Treatment of the natives by the company. — The lease requires 

 that provision be made by the company for the comfort, maintenance, 

 education, and protection of the native inhabitants of the islands. 



The natives do all the work of taking and curing the seal skins, for 

 which they are paid by the comjiany 40 cents a skin. This produces 

 each year a fund of $40,000, which is divided between the inhabitants 

 of the two islands, according to the number of skins taken from each, 

 which gives $30,000 to the people of St. Paul and $10;000 to those of 

 St. George. In addition to this, they are j)aid 40 cents apiece for sea- 

 lion skins, 10 cents for their throats, and 15 a barrel for their intes- 

 tines. As this sum is earned by the joint labor of all the able-bodied 

 men, it is considered a common fund, to be divided equitably among 

 them. Payment is made for all other labor to each individual per- 

 forming it at established rates. In dividing the sealing fund the 

 ability of the sealers is considered and the division made accordingly. 

 Thus the strongest and most skillful men, who work the entire season, 

 receive a first-class share. Those who are less skillful, and the old 

 men who are unable to do the harder part of the work, receive second 

 and third shares, while the boys who take part in the sealing for the 

 first time receive a fourth-class share. The assignment of shares is 

 made by the chiefs and acquiesced in by the others. Each year, after 

 all the skins have been taken, the chiefs furnish the company's agents 

 with a list of the men who have been engaged in sealing during the 

 season, and the share assigned to each. The second, third, and fourth 

 class are, respectively, 90, 80, and 70 per cent of the first-class share. 

 Two first-class shares are voluntarily given for the support of the 

 church and one for that of the priest. The value of the shares varies 

 a little from year to year, with the number of men engaged in sealing. 

 This year (1874) it was for each, respectively, 1429.53, $368.58, $343.62, 

 and $300. 63. The result of the division is formally made to the people 

 by the company's agents, through the chiefs and in tiie presence of 

 tlie Government's agents. These sums are not paid at the time to the 

 natives, but are placed to their credit in the book of the company and 

 in pass books which are furnished to each man. All other labor is 

 paid for in coin when performed, at the rate of from 6 to 10 cents an 

 hour, according to the nature of the work, except that of bundling 

 skins, which is at the rate of 1 cent a bundle. The first chief is paid 

 a monthly salary of $15, and each of the others, three in number, one 

 of $10, in addition to thedr shares of the sealing fund. Other natives, 

 men and women, employed throughout the year in other capacities, 

 receive from $4 to $30 a month and board. 

 H. Doc. 92, pt. 3—12 



