8U4 UEi'OKT OF CUMMltiSIUNEK OF FISU AND FISIIEKIFS. 



import duty on the pioparod skins; nor is it due to the hick of expert 

 woikinen. The principul reason is that the raw skins arc sold in 

 London and harmonious cooperation exists among the fur-brokers, 

 fur-dressers, and bankers there, so that a first pa3^ment may be made 

 on skins purchased in the fall, and most of the purchase money l)e 

 withheld until the skins have been dressed, dyed, and made ready for 

 miuuifacture six or ei^'ht months hiter. 



In estimating- the industrial value of the manufacture of fur-seal 

 articles in the United States, seven of the pi-incipal Fui-riers made 

 affidavit in 1892, as follows: 



The number of Alaska far-seal skins that are imported annually into the United 

 States, after dressing and dyeing in London, is, upon the ba«is of the importations 

 during the past ten years and upon a catch of 100,000 skins at the Pribilof Islands, 

 correctly estimated at 65,000 to 75,000. The value, before paying duty thereon to 

 the Unitinl States, of each dressed and dyed fur-seal skin so imported, may be said 

 to range between §15 and $50, with an average value during the past ten years of about 

 $25 per skin. The wages paid annually to people engaged in the manufacture and 

 remodeling of seal-skin articles are, on an average, about $7 a skin, or upon 70,000 

 skins, $490,000. The profits made annually by merchants, wholesale furriers, and 

 retail furriers amount to about $30 a skin, or upon 70,000 skins $2,100,000. The 

 amount of silk consmned annually in the manufacture in the United States of 70,000 

 fur-seal skins into articles and in the repairing of these articles may be estimated at 

 $150,000 to $200,000. All silk which is being so consumed at the present time is 

 made in the United States. Working men and women are employed in the industry 

 of manufacturing seal-skin articles in the- United States as follows: 



Clas.sificatlon. 



Fur-cutters (i. c, people who trim, repair, and prepare the general shape of 

 skins) 



Nailers (i. e., people who stretch and nail skins intoshajie on boards) 



Sewers and linishers (i. e., people who put the article into final shape) 



Those who machine skins (i. e., remove the portion of guard hairs left by 

 tlie unliairers) 



Total. 



Num- Wages per 



ber. 



1,200 



GOO 



1,500 



diem. 



m. 50 to S4. 50 

 2. 00 2. M 

 1. 50 2. 00 



2.00 



3,360 



The fur-cutters represent skilled labor of a high order. No account is taken of 

 porters, clerks, salesmen, etc., employed in the large establishments.''' 



Owing to the smaller quantity of skins received on the market at 

 the present time, the number of persons employed in manufacturing 

 them into garments is much less than in 1802, probably not over 60 

 per cent as many. Th(^ total number of persons actively employed at 

 present in various ])arts of the world in handling fur-seal skins from 

 the live animals to the finished garments probably aggregates 4,000, 

 and the total value of the product ^6,0()0,0()0 or ^8,t>00,»»(>() annually. 



METHODS OF DKESSTN(; A^'D DYEINO. 



The pi-esent method of dressing fur-s(>ul skins represents the highest 

 development in the fur-dressers art. The difi'erence in appearance 

 between a raw and a finished pelt of beaver, otter, or uuiskrat is com- 



« Fur-seal Arbitration, Washington, 1S95, Vol. Ill, p. 52G. 



