168 



FUR-SEAL HEED OF ALASKA. 



Mr. McGuiRE. And upon your actual 

 observation? 



Dr. Stejneger. Surveys of the rook- 

 eries . 



Mr. McGuiRE. You have personally 

 observed those conditions, have you? 



Dr. Stejneger. Yes, sir. (Hearing No. 

 11, pp. 701, 702, 703, May 11, 1912.) 



Stejneger would kill yearlings 

 if the law did not prevent, but — 



The Chairman. Do you know whether 

 of your own personal knowledge seals 

 have been killed that were too small or too 

 young, under the act of Congress? 



Dr." Stejneger. I do not know, because 

 I have not been on the island since 1897 — 

 since 1896. 



If I may be allowed to make a state- 

 ment, since you ask whether I had any 

 statement to make, ihe law is the law, and 

 has to be lived up to; but whether seal is 

 killed as 1 -year-old or when older could not 

 affect the seal herd to any extent and could 

 not hurt it at all: you might just as well 

 kill 1-year-olds or 2-year-olds or 3-year-olds. 

 As a matter of fact. yo\i could not kill as 

 large a percentage of 1 -year-olds as of 2 or 

 3 year olds. The 1-year-olds would be 

 2-year-olds the next year, and then you 

 would kill them anyhow. The Govern- 

 ment would realize a little k'ss money for 

 the smaller skins. That would be the 

 whole result. (Hearing No. 11. p. 679, 

 May 4, 1912.) 



Merriam would not kill year- 

 lings "under any circumstances." 



Mr. McGuirtE. Then, in case anyone in 

 the House of Representatives has used your 

 name as a person wlio would be opposed to 

 the killing on the islands they were wrong 

 about your position? 



Dr. Merriam. They were wrong. I 

 have never taken any such position. I 

 have always held the contrary. 1 have 

 always stated, since the first time I went 

 there, that conservative killing on the 

 islands was a benefit to the herd and not an 

 injury, but I should not allow the killing 

 of yearlings under any circumstances, and 

 I should not kill more than 75 per cent of 

 the young on land at any one time. I 

 would be sure to lea^'e more than enough 

 for possible contingencies. 



Mr. McGuiRE. Have you made any 

 personal investigation as to whetiier the 

 Goverimient has killed excessively? 



Dr. Merriam. I know nothing about 

 that irom personal knowledge. (Hearing 

 No. 11, pp. 694, 695, May 4. 1912.) 



III. 



The sworn statements of Dr. Barton W. Evermann, who is one of the experts cited to the 

 United States Senate Committee on Conservation of National Resources, January 14, 

 1911, and to the House Committee on Expenditures in Department of Commerce and 

 Labor, June 9, 1911, by Secretary Charles Nag el as his authority for killing seals in 

 violation of the law and regulations, to wit: 



Mr. Bowers. Yes, sir. I ought to have another statement here that I would like 

 to have offered, but I am not able to find it at present. If the gentlemen will permit, 

 I wish to say that these regulations are in conformity to recommendations made by 

 this advisory board. 



Mr. Cable. Give the names of the members of the advisory board. 



Mr. Bowers. The members of the fur-seal board and of the advisory board, fur- 

 seal service, are as follows: 



Dr. Barton Warren Evermann (chairman), who is chief of the Alaska fisheries 

 service and who has been in Alaska a number of times. He was a member of the fur- 

 seal commission of 1892, when he spent six months in the North Pacific and Bering 

 Sea and on the seal islands studying the fur seal. (Hearing No. 2, p. 109, June 9, 1911 .) 



