278 THE SEALSKIN INDUSTEY. 



Canadian in- dents of Victoria, and one especially, Mr. W. J. 



vestment, in 1891. ^ ' ^ ^ y 



Stevens, being recognized as authority on sucli 

 matters, often having been employed by the 

 Dominion Government in examining and report- 

 ing on vessels.-^ According to such estimate the 

 value of the vessels in 1891 was $203,200. Con- 

 sul Myers also obtained from the custom-house 

 records at Victoria the approximate age of the 

 vessels, which shows that seven of them are 

 "very old," two are "old," and thirty-three have 

 seen over six years of service.^ In consideration 

 of this last fact stated, it is evident that the Ca- 

 nadian valuation is far above the true figure. 



Contrast be- Howevcr, assumino^ the value of the fleet of 

 me'utsiu"i89r'^^* -^^^-^ ^^ given ill the Canadian reports to be ac- 

 curate, namely, $425,150, the Canadian capital 

 is even then less than 12 per cent of the British 

 investment in the sealskin industry; and Great 

 Britain, through the necessary abandonment of 

 her permanent plant used in the industry, would 

 lose more in this item alone than the entire Ca- 

 nadian investment. 



Employes in Accoi'diiig to the samc 'sourccs of information, 



Canada and Lon- 

 don. Canada employed in 1890, 678 wdiite men and 



Indians in seal hunting,^ and in 1891, 439 Indians 



' Vol. I, p. 507. 



2 Consnl Meyer's Report (No. 15G), Vol, I, p. 511. 



3 Canadian Fislieries Report (1890), p. 183. 



