﻿70 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  of 
  both 
  young 
  and 
  adults. 
  These 
  researches 
  enlarge 
  

   the 
  field 
  of 
  practical 
  mussel 
  culture. 
  

  

  Experiments 
  to 
  discover 
  a 
  use 
  for 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  mussel 
  meats, 
  

   now 
  wasted; 
  investigations 
  into 
  the 
  conditions 
  controlling 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  lustrous, 
  and 
  therefore 
  valuable, 
  shells; 
  and 
  studies 
  of 
  the 
  

   food 
  of 
  mussels, 
  and 
  of 
  their 
  parasites, 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  as 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   progressive 
  and 
  constructive 
  work 
  necessary 
  to 
  a 
  full 
  utilization 
  of 
  

   the 
  mussel 
  resources 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  FUR-SEAL 
  SERVICE. 
  

  

  The 
  administration 
  of 
  affairs 
  on 
  and 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  

   Islands 
  has 
  been 
  conducted 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  law 
  and 
  regulations. 
  

   The 
  annual 
  supplies 
  required 
  for 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  Government 
  

   property 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  support 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  inhabitants 
  were 
  delivered 
  

   m 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  Medical 
  attention 
  has 
  been 
  furnished 
  

   the 
  natives, 
  and 
  excellent 
  schools 
  have 
  been 
  maintained 
  for 
  the 
  native 
  

   children. 
  

  

  After 
  giving 
  careful 
  consideration 
  to 
  the 
  relative 
  advantages 
  pos- 
  

   sessed 
  by 
  San 
  Francisco 
  and 
  Seattle 
  as 
  bases 
  for 
  the 
  purchasing 
  of 
  

   annual 
  supplies 
  for 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands, 
  the 
  latter 
  city 
  was 
  selected. 
  

   A 
  private 
  steamer 
  was 
  chartered 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  suppUes, 
  and 
  left 
  Seattle 
  

   in 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  June, 
  1914. 
  

  

  The 
  wireless 
  station 
  maintained 
  by 
  the 
  Navy 
  Department 
  on 
  St. 
  

   Paul 
  Island 
  was 
  in 
  operation 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  This 
  station, 
  by 
  

   furnishing 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  communication 
  with 
  that 
  island, 
  is 
  almost 
  in- 
  

   dispensable, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  fall, 
  winter, 
  and 
  early 
  spring, 
  when 
  

   no 
  vessels 
  go 
  to 
  or 
  from 
  the 
  islands. 
  The 
  Navy 
  Department 
  has 
  also 
  

   a 
  small 
  station 
  on 
  St. 
  George, 
  which 
  enables 
  that 
  island 
  to 
  keep 
  in 
  

   communication 
  with 
  St. 
  Paul. 
  During 
  a 
  considerable 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   year 
  the 
  St. 
  George 
  station 
  was 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  G. 
  Dallas 
  Hanna, 
  who 
  

   voluntarily 
  assumed 
  this 
  duty 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  acting 
  as 
  school 
  teacher. 
  

  

  The 
  killing 
  of 
  fur 
  seals 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands 
  was 
  limited 
  to 
  young 
  

   males 
  needed 
  for 
  supplying 
  food 
  to 
  the 
  native 
  inhabitants. 
  The 
  Sec- 
  

   retary 
  authorized 
  the 
  utilization 
  of 
  3,000 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  during 
  the 
  

   season 
  of 
  1913, 
  and 
  later, 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  and 
  winter, 
  gave 
  permission 
  to 
  

   take 
  additional 
  seals. 
  The 
  seals 
  kiUed 
  feU 
  short 
  of 
  the 
  limit. 
  The 
  

   annual 
  shipment 
  of 
  skins, 
  made 
  in 
  August, 
  1913, 
  on 
  the 
  chartered 
  

   vessel 
  that 
  carried 
  supplies 
  to 
  the 
  islands, 
  comprised 
  2,296 
  skins. 
  

   These 
  were 
  landed 
  at 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  and 
  shipped 
  thence 
  to 
  St, 
  Louis, 
  

   where 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  sold 
  at 
  public 
  auction 
  on 
  December 
  16, 
  1913. 
  

  

  AU 
  previous 
  sales 
  of 
  fur-seal 
  skms 
  taken 
  under 
  the 
  immediate 
  super- 
  

   vision 
  of 
  the 
  Government 
  on 
  the 
  Pribilof 
  Islands 
  had 
  been 
  conducted 
  

   in 
  London. 
  In 
  1913 
  the 
  Department, 
  after 
  giving 
  due 
  consideration 
  

   to 
  aU 
  phases 
  of 
  the 
  question, 
  decided 
  to 
  initiate 
  the 
  selling 
  of 
  the 
  

   skins 
  in 
  this 
  country. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  skins 
  to 
  be 
  sold 
  was 
  relatively 
  

   smaU, 
  and 
  for 
  that 
  reason 
  the 
  occasion 
  was 
  considered 
  favorable 
  for 
  

   making 
  what 
  was 
  in 
  some 
  measure 
  an 
  experiment. 
  It 
  was 
  felt 
  that 
  

   if 
  the 
  Government 
  could 
  realize 
  even 
  approximately 
  the 
  same 
  net 
  

   returns 
  from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  the 
  skins 
  in 
  this 
  ccmntry 
  as 
  might 
  accrue 
  

   from 
  their 
  sale 
  in 
  London, 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  an 
  American 
  market 
  

   was 
  demanded 
  by 
  sound 
  economic 
  principles. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  request 
  of 
  the 
  chairman 
  of 
  the 
  House 
  of 
  Representatives 
  

   Committee 
  on 
  Expenditures 
  in 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Commerce, 
  400 
  

  

  