114 PUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 



The careful identification of every skin 

 and the care given to every detail of the 

 weighing make it quite certain that the 



to Paris. It was never disputed by either 

 side at those sessions of the Bering Sea 

 Tribunal, held there from April to August, 



during transportation to London, it 

 likely to be a further loss. (Hearing No. 

 H, pp. 974, 975, July 29. 1912.) 



salting of sealskins as practiced on St. | 1893. 

 Paul Island subtracts materially from its Dr. Evermann. I would like the 

 original weight when freshly skinned, chairman to ask Mr. Elliott to tell the 

 Presumably, though not necessarily, the | committee on what skins the statement 

 London weights reported are less than | he just read was based. 

 the actual weights of the skins at the I Mr. Elliott. It is in the report of 

 island killings. If any change takes place Lieut. Maynard. It is there, and is cited 



' ' in the communication of the commission- 

 ers 



The Chairman. That is your answer 



Mr. Elliott. And the report of Lieut. 

 Maynard is in my monograph, and I will 

 go right to the page if yoTi want it (pp. 106- 

 107, Elliott's Monograph Seal Islands, 

 Tenth Census, United States of America, 

 Washington, 1884). CHearing No. 14, 

 p. 995, July 29, 1912.)' 



In the foregoiiio; statements we have made' an exhibition of 400 

 skins which were taken (as they have been loaded by the lessees since 

 1890), July 7, 1913, on St. Paul Island; they are all now tagged, 

 numbered, and recorded as to salt and green weights and measure- 

 ments. 



In the light of tlie expose which they give it is interesting to regard 

 the following testimony, at the outset, to wit: 



IHearing No. 10, p. 566, Apr. 24, 1912, House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce 



and Labor.] 



Dr. Evermann. On page 222 of these hearings Mr. Elliott says that, in arriving at 

 his estimates of the numbers of yearlmg^seals taken as set forth in the table submitted 

 by him, and printed on page 220, he was guided "solely by measurements. The 

 weights do not amount to anything," he says. The London people would be the biggest 

 fools in the world, he says, to go by weights. And he shows how foolish it would be 

 for the killers on the islands to leave an extra amount of blubber on the skin. He 

 says that when he pomted out to the people on the islands that the skins in London 

 were classified by measurement rather than by weight they quit blubbering them. 

 (P. 222.) 



Mr. Elliott. They didn't quit blubbering them; they kept on. 



Dr. Evermann. Then that statement is not true? 



Mr. Elliott. I said they might quit it; but they did not; they kept right on, and 

 they are still at it, very clearly. 



Dr. Evermann. On page 223 Mr. Elliott states specifically that the skins are 

 classified in London entirely by measurements not by weights. 



Mr. Elliott. I do now. ' 



[Hearing No. 9, p. 406, Feb. 29, 1912.] 



Mr. Lembkey. There are five different weights given by Mr. Elliott, and I have 

 eompared them in this statement. 



Mr. Madden. Let us clear it up right here, if we can, without any prejudice. I 

 would like to ask Mr. Elliott a question if I may be allowed to, Mr. Chairman, just 

 to clear up this. I understood Mr. Lembkey to testify that Mr. Elliott claimed that 

 a seal of a certain age, a sealskin of a certain weight, would indicate the seal's age. 

 For example, in his official reports, he said a certain aged seal would have a skin 

 weighing 4| pounds, and that a certain other aged seal would have a skin weighing 

 5^ pounds, and that later on Mr. Elliott had stated that these skins varied from 6 to 7 

 pounds. Now, I understood Mr. Elliott to say, and I want to get it correct in the 

 record so as to do justice to Mr. Elliott, as well as to Mr. Lembkey, that when he makes 

 the statement of 6 to 7 pounds that he means the salted skins. 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, with more or less blubber and salt per skin. 



Mr. Madden. And in the case where he makes the flat statement of 4^ to 5 pounds, 

 it is a green skin . 



Mr. Elliott. A "green skin," and that creates all these differences. 



