Smith. — The Alaska Fur Seal 85 



satisfactory financial returns, in connection with which, how- 

 ever, only a beginning has been made. 



The Congress of the United States, in the exercise of its 

 power, in 1912 imposed a five-year close time on commercial 

 sealing on the seal islands. I think I can say without indis- 

 cretion that it was an unfortunate act, based on insufficient 

 information and representing an excited state of public opin- 

 ion at the time the act was passed. The principal effect 

 of the close time imposed by Congress upon commercial 

 sealing was the accumulation of surplus male seals that could 

 very properly and profitably have been taken for the benefit 

 of the interested countries. Not a single fur seal was added 

 to the fur-seal herd as a result of the five years' close time 

 which Congress imposed. 



Since 1911 the Alaskan seal herd has had a rather inter- 

 esting growth. We have endeavored to take a census every 

 year, but the taking of a census has become more and 

 more difficult, and during the last two or three years an in- 

 creased amount of approximation has been absolutely neces- 

 sary. In the year following the suppression of pelagic seal- 

 ing a census of the herd showed that it contained 215,000 

 animals. That was increased in the next year to 258,000 and 

 in the subsequent years to 294,000 and 363,000. Last year, 

 1919, there were 524,000 animals in the herd, and this year's 

 tentative figures indicate about 550,000, exclusive of about 

 28,000 that have been killed for their skins. Since the ex- 

 piration of the close time, which prevented all commercial 

 killing and simply permitted the taking of the inconsiderable 

 number of seals required for food purposes by the natives on 

 the seal islands, there have been taken about 90,000 seals. 



One of the first problems which confronted us in 1917 

 when the close time expired was the handling of the old 

 males that had) ibeen accumulating during the five years' 

 period. I am happy to say that as a result of measures 

 which we took the surplus male accumulation was gradually 



