NINETEENTH DAY, MAY 9™, 1893. 



Mr. CouDERT. — May it i)lease the learned President and the Arbi- 

 trators. 



Before proceeding with the regular course of the argument such as I 

 was pursuing at the hour of adjournment, I want to ask the attention 

 of the High Court to a printed statement that has been compiled under 

 the care of General Foster, and which may be of some use to the Court. 

 A copy has been handed, or will be, to our friends on the other side. 

 I use it for the sake of convenience. 



The learned Arbitrators will recall that there was some discussion 

 as to the effect of the modas civendi; and it was j^lain the modus 

 vivendihixd operated entirely to the disadvantage of the United States, 

 and that, while the United iStates had tied u}) its hands and had i>re- 

 vented itself from going on with its regular and legitinuite business in 

 the interests of harmony and conciliation, the work of devastation had 

 been going on in the North Pacific, and an enormous number of seals 

 had been slaughtered. In connection with this and to make it more 

 definite, I will read this short statement; adding that every statement 

 here made is taken from the evidence in the Case. 



The seals killed on the Pribilof Islands in 1890 amounted to 21,238. 

 That is our number of seals killed. The pelagic catch, according to 

 the British Commissioners lleport, amounted to 51,055; being a total 

 catch of 72,893. 



In 1891, the year following, under the modus rivendi of that year, the 

 seals killed on the Pribilof Islands amounted to 12,071. The pelagic 

 catch gave 08,000 to those engaged in that business; making a total 

 of 80,071. 



The seals killed on the Pribilof Islands last year, that is in 1892, 

 under the modus vivendi of that year, were 7,500. In the pelagic catch 

 there were captured 73,391, being a total catch of 80,894. 



Now, your Honours will see from this statement that, in 1890, 21,000 

 were killed; in 1891, only 12,000, and, in 1892, 7,500 on the islands ; leav- 

 ing an enormous margin to be tilled up in some way or other to supply 

 the wants of the world. Those wants were never completely filled, 

 though the pelagic catch, as you will sec, very largely increased during 

 those three years. The natural result, of course, was to affect the prices 

 of the skins; and these we have given. 



In 1889 the average price per skin was $0.83. In 1890 it rose to 

 $10.70; and, in 1891, the average price per skin was $15 less one cent. 



Senator Morgan. — Was that the j^rice in London ? 



Mr. CouDERT. — No this was the price in Victoria. That is where all 

 these skins go. They are sold there and then sent on to the dressers 

 in London. So, you will see, the result of this was to send the price of 

 skins up more than double. That is from $0.83 to $14.99. There was 

 naturally a greater demand for slaughterers on the high sea and the 

 wages (correspondingly rose. In 1889 the price paid to hunters per 

 skin was $2 to $3. In 1891, $3.50. In 1892, $4, and the business becom- 

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