8 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIB1LOF ISLANDS. 



are other Governments also vitally interested in this question, notably 

 Japan and Russia, we should invite their cooperation. I would suggest 

 a commission of three members from each country to examine and report 

 upon the questions involved, and that pending their examination and 

 reports the respective Governments agree to prohibit all killing of seals 

 on land or sea (save a limited amount on land for food for the Indians), 

 or, failing in this, that the existing regulations established by the Paris 

 award be extended to embrace the whole North Pacific Ocean, from 

 shore to shore, with the additional provision that Bering Sea be abso- 

 lutely closed to pelagic sealing. 



In the investigation made by said commission, the methods of laud 

 killing, as well as pelagic sealing, should be studied. It may be remem- 

 bered that Mr. Henry W. Elliott, formerly United States special agent, 

 in his report of 1890, claimed that the methods of driving the seals on 

 land were injurious to the herd. In this conclusion he is corroborated 

 by Mr. Townsend, of the Fish Commission, whose report is also annexed. 

 While both these gentlemen are agreed as to the dire results in the 

 past and present of pelagic sealing, yet the fact that any question is 

 raised by them as to the propriety of existing methods of land killing 

 should be sufficient to relegate the question to said commission for 

 careful investigation. 



The United States should court the most rigid investigation of exist- 

 ing methods of slaughter, both on land and at sea. Out of such investi- 

 gation there can not fail to come results beneficial to the seal herd and 

 the valuable property interests of the United States therein. 



SALMON FISHERIES. 



Upon careful inspection of the salmon-fishing industry at Karluk, on 

 the island of Kadiak, the principal site of the canning industries of 

 Alaska, and of many other canneries scattered over the Territory, I am 

 satisfied that the salmon are rapidly decreasing because of the inces- 

 sant and indiscriminate fishing and the illegal use of weirs, nets, etc., 

 thus obstructing the streams. By means of these obstructions and by 

 continuous fishing in the streams the supply of salmon is gradually 

 being exhausted. The result will be that the Indians will be reduced 

 to starvation, as they are dependent upon the river catch for food. 



I was also in receipt of many complaints from Indians to the effect 

 that the canners refused to employ them in the canneries. My personal 

 observation was that the greater part of the employees engaged in the 

 business, at least as regards the fishermen, were aliens Italians and 

 others and that of the workmen engaged in preparing and canning the 

 salmon a large proportion were Chinese. This matter, however, has 

 been carefully gone over by Inspector Murray in his report, to which I 

 invite careful attention. 



The present laws relating to salmon fishing in Alaska are inadequate 

 and should be at once made more stringent. A rigid closed season 

 should be provided and additional inspectors appointed to enforce the 

 law. Annexed to Mr. Murray's report there will be found a draft of a 

 bill containing such changes as seem expedient. 



The canning of salmon is a very important industry in Alaska; it 

 contributes nothing, however, to the wealth of the Territory, and I 

 recommend that a small tax be imposed upon each case of salmon 

 canned in the Territory as a rental for the privilege given to the canners 

 to take salmon; thus some part of the expense of maintaining the Ter- 

 torial Government will be borne by those who take from it annually a 

 rich harvest and contribute nothing in return. 



