SEAL LIFK ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



LIQUOK. 



In spite of the earnest efforts of the customs olHcers the smuggling' 

 of liquor into Alaska and its illegal sale to whites and Indians contin- 

 ues flagrantly and defiantly. Considering the vast area of the Terri- 

 tory, and its thousands of miles of coast line, it is perhaps not surpris- 

 ing that such illegal practices have not been completely broken up. 



Complaint is also made that it is impossible to secure conviction of 

 offenders against the liquor laws by jury trial because of sympathy 

 with the accused. This renders it all the harder to enforce the law. 

 This flagrant defiance of United States law is productive of evil results 

 when the sale of liquor is to whites, but when extended to Indians its 

 evil effects are almost impossible to describe. 



Under the Russian rule the sale of liquor to natives was strictly pro- 

 hibited except at high church festivals, but after the cession to the 

 United States many vessels sailed to Alaska and gave the natives liq- 

 uors in exchange for furs. The natives are passionately fond of liquor, 

 and will do almost anything to secure it. Many murders by the Indians 

 are directly traceable to liquor obtained in this way; these cases are 

 rarely brought to the attention of the authorities. Much cruelty, such 

 as wife beating and other crimes, is also caused by the use of liquor. 

 I am of the opinion that some restriction should be placed upon the 

 importation of articles which can be used by the Indians for making 

 liquor, for example, flavoring extracts, bitters, Florida water, bay rum, 

 eau de cologne, etc., which, although ostensibly imported as medicines, 

 are obtained really for the alcohol contained therein. 



If the United States Government can enforce the liquor laws, murder, 

 infanticide, wife beating, and other crimes now common among the 

 Indians would soon be unknown. 



It may w^ell be questioned whether the existing system of trial by 

 jury is not a failure as regards the enforcement of the liquor laws. If; 

 however, it is deemed advisable to retain the provision for trial by jury, 

 I believe that both the grand and trial juries for the Territory should 

 be selected by the judge of the United States district court. A similar 

 practice now exists in the State of Tennessee, and has been held con- 

 stitutional. It might be well also to give to the United States commis- 

 sioners the power to enforce, without a jury, section 1955 of the Revised 

 Statutes and section 14 of the act of May 17, 1884, as far as relates to 

 the sale, manufacture, or importation of intoxicants. 



Having carefully considered the question, it is my firm belief that 

 the liquor question in Alaska can only properly be solved by having: a 

 system of high license and total prohibition of sales to Indians. "In 

 this way only will it be possible to regulate the traffic effectively. 



While in Sitka I learned that many people were confined in jail 

 because of offenses under the liquor law. I found also, to my great sur- 

 prise, that some of them had been imprisoned since June, 1893, await- 

 ing trial for offenses for which, oh conviction, not over six months 

 imprisonment could be imposed, there having been no term of court 

 since the first-named date. These facts have been called to the atten- 

 tion of the Attorney-General. 



FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. 



THE SKA OTTER. 



The value of sea otter skins, just out of the water, to-day is about 

 $200, whereas fifteen years ago the price would not average much over 



