FUR-SEAL HEED OF ALASKA. 



51 



Investigation of Fur-Seal Industry of Alaska. 



Committee on Expenditures in the 

 Department of Commerce and Labor, 



House of Representatives, 



Tuesdmj, July 11, 1911. 



The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. John H. Rothermel (chairman) 

 presiding. 



The Chairman. I have some questions to ask. A great deal has been said before 

 the committee about the illegal killing of seals on these islands, and I have therefore 

 requested Prof. Elliott to make out a statement of what he considers a proper estimate 

 of such illegal killing in the last 20 years of the lease. I told him to make the estimate 

 year by year, and to submit it to the committee, and he has this statement here. I 

 will ask you. Prof. Elliott, to take it up and discuss it with the committee, and I do 

 this upon the theory that if the lessees were guilty of any illegal killing of seals, or 

 were guilty of bringing this herd to partial destruction, that, under the securities that 

 are lodged with the Government, as I understand it, they ought to make good what- 

 ever they did in the way of injury to the Government by any violation of the law, 

 administration orders, or the provisions of the le^se. I want the witness to state as 

 an expert how many such killings of seals there may have been, and what he con- 

 siders has been the injury done to the Government during the last 20 years. 



Mr. Elliott. Mr. Chairman, I will read the statement in detail: 



memorandum, 



for HON. JOHN H 

 IN 



rothermel, IN RE SEAL SKINS TAKEN BY LESSEES 

 VIOLATION OP LAW. 



Minimum numbers of i/eurling seals taken in violation of law by the North American 

 Commercial Co.. or lessees of the seal islands of Alaska. Figures taken from the sales 

 catalogues of Messrs. C. M. Lampson's Sons, London, during period of lease held by 

 the N. A. C. Co. aforesaid. 



' Modus Vivendi. = Standard lowered this year for first time to "5-pound skins," or "yearlings." 



Henry W. Elliott. 



July 10, 1911. 



Mr. Cable. May I ask one question? 



The Chairman. Certainly. 



Mr. Cable. Is it now against the law, or has it ever been against the law, to take a 

 seal 1 year old? May I ask what is the understanding of the committee on that ques- 

 tion? I want to get straight on it myself. Has it not always been perfectly legal to 

 take seals a year old or more than a year old? 



Mr. Elliott. That is absolutely true. These s^als are taken in June and July, 

 but until the 1st of August following no one can tell what is a yearling seal. 



Mr. Cable. Then, is it your contention that this list you have read is based on 

 seals that are killed under 1 year o& age? 



Mr. Elliott. They must be under 1 year old. If you kill them in June or July, 

 the benefit of the doubt belongs to them. If you kill a yearling seal on the 9th day 

 of July, how do you know that it was born on the 9th day of July a year ago? 



Mr. Cable. I am not a seal expert. • 



Mr. Elliott. You nor no other man could determine that. 



