FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 



177 



M. Bowers, dated November 25, 1910, in 

 which this language appears: 



"Dear Sir: Inclosed I beg to hand you 

 particulars of assortment of the Alaska fur 

 seal received this day from C. M. Lamp- 

 son & Co., whose valuation of the skins, 

 based upon the prices realized for last 

 year's catch, is 12,732 skins at 144s. aver- 

 age per skin, and 188 skins at 120s. aver- 

 age per skin. The latter I presume are 

 food skins. 



"I regret to find that the assortment is 

 not quite up to that of last year's catch." 



Now, how do you reconcile your state- 

 ment to the House Committee on For- 

 eign Affairs with this official notification 

 that you are not telling the truth? 



Dr. EvERMANN. To what year does 

 that refer? 



Mr. Elliott. That refers to the catch 

 of the year 1910 being better than the 

 year 1909. 



Dr. EvERMANN. My references are to 

 the years 1910 and 1911. 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). You go 

 back to the year 1909. 



Dr. EvERMANN. No. 



Mr. Elliott. You do. 



He was speaking on January 4, 1912, 

 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

 the House, and speaking of the catch 

 of 1911. He could not speak of the catch 

 of 1912, for he did not know and no one 

 could know about the catch at that 

 time; and if he did not know how it was 

 taken, how could he say they were better 

 than the catch of 1911? I want him to 

 answer that question. 



Dr. EvERMANN. We know what our 

 policy is as to possible improvement of 

 the catch from year to year. (Hearing 

 No. 14, p. 929, July 29, 1912.) 



Evermann swears that there is 

 no word from London that the 

 skins are getting inferior. 



Dr. Evermann. And Dr. Hornaday, 

 while admitting that some males are still 

 left, claims that they are not virile. Both 

 Mr. Elliott and Dr. Hornaday claim that 

 virile male life has been inadequate for 

 many years. 



If such has been the case, the herd 

 should show evidences of physical deteri- 

 oration. But those who have seen the 

 herd in recent years say there is no evi- 

 dence of physical deterioration; the 

 individual seals are just as large and fine 

 and fit at any given age as they ever were. 



Mr. Elliott. How do they know it? 

 How do those natives know it? 



Dr. Evermann. There has been no 

 complaint from London that the skins 

 were not as fine as they ever were . (Hear- 

 ing No. 10, p. 605, Apr. 20, 1912.) 



I regret to find that the assortment is 

 not quite up to that of last year's catch. 



The percentages of the several grades of 

 skins as compared with last year's collec- 

 tion are as follows: 



The skins count up two short of the 

 number invoiced, but they will be re- 

 counted on delivery. 



I regret to state that the fur trade so far 

 this season is dull, owing in a great meas- 

 ure to the very high cost of all articles, 

 but business will no doubt improve 

 should cold weather set in. 



I have reason to believe that the num- 

 ber of pelagic seal taken this year will be 

 about equal to that of last year. 

 Yours, very truly, 



Alfred Eraser. 



Mr. Secretary: Not as satisfactory as 

 I should like to have seen this statement. 

 Am home and can not leave to-day. 



Geo. M. Bowers. 



November 26, 1910. 



(Appendix A, p, 1007, June 24, 1911.) 



But the word from London is 

 pubUshed up to January 17, 1913, 

 that the skins are inferior from 

 year to year, growing more so! 



London sales: January 17, 1913. 



Philips Politzer & Co., report. 



Alaskas 3,773 skins (December, 1911, 

 12,492). The quantity offered was about 

 a quarter of the last sale (December, 1911) 

 and with the exception of some so-called 

 "food skins" no more are expected for 

 five years. The present collection was 

 not up to the usual standard in quality or 

 appearance, in spite of which, however, 

 prices remained very firm. (Fur Trade 

 Review, New York, February, 1913, 

 p. 66.) 



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