INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 127 



The Chief of the Revenue-Cutter Service of the Treasur}^ Depart- 

 ment, however, suggests that the U. S. S. Thetis, a sister ship of the 

 Bear, has been recently placed out of commission by the Navy Depart- 

 ment and can be temporarily secured by the Treasury Department for 

 the use of the Interior Department in its reindeer operations this 

 coming summer. 



The expense of six months' service of the ship is estimated by the 

 Chief of the Revenue-Cutter Service as follows: 



Fuel 2,500 



Incidentals 2, 500 



Total 20, 000 



To pay of crew $8,000 



Kations 1, 600 



Ship chandlery 250 



Engineer stores 350 



Repairs to ship 5, 000 



The number of reindeer which the Government promised to return 

 in the summer of 1898 was 652; the luimber actually returned was 

 161, leaving 491 reindeer still to be returned. 



It is therefore of the utmost importance that these reindeer be pur- 

 chased and returned to the parties from whom they were Vjorrowcd 

 while the occasion is still fresh in the mind of the Government and, 

 before the number grows larger by delay. 



I have the honor, therefore, to ask that the chairman of the Com- 

 mittee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives having in 

 charge the sundry civil 1)111 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, 

 be requested to add on page 218 of printed estimates of appropriations 

 for 1900, last line, to the expenses of the Revenue-Cutter Service, imme- 

 diately following the words " the enforcement of the provisions of the 

 law in Alaska," the following paragraph: "For turning over the U. S.S. 

 TJietis and her outfit and equipments from the Navy Department to the 

 Treasury Department for temporary service as a revenue cutter, and 

 officered by details from the Revenue-Cutter Service, to be emplojn^d 

 in the service of the Department of the Interior for its work in con- 

 nection with the transportation of reindeer from Siberia to Alaska, to 

 be disbursed under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, the 

 same to be immediately available, the sum of, or as much as may be 

 necessary, 120,000." 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



W. T. Harris, Commissioner. 



The Secretary of the Interior. 



Department of the Interior, 



Washhigton, D. C, Fehrimry i, 1899. 

 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of a letter from 

 the Commissioner of Education, dated the 31st ultimo, and to com- 

 mend to your favorable consideration the request therein contained that 



