﻿148 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEEIES 
  AND 
  PUR 
  INDUSTRIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  of 
  all 
  chance 
  of 
  self-improvement 
  by 
  destroying 
  the 
  incentive. 
  Any 
  

   effort 
  along 
  the 
  lines 
  indicated 
  or 
  others 
  to 
  increase 
  this 
  self-reliance 
  

   will 
  be 
  salutary. 
  It 
  is 
  conceived 
  that 
  a 
  certain 
  small 
  percentage 
  of 
  

   receipts 
  from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  skins 
  taken 
  by 
  these 
  people, 
  set 
  apart 
  for 
  

   them, 
  either 
  for 
  their 
  support 
  or 
  as 
  a 
  fund 
  for 
  the 
  improvement 
  of 
  

   local 
  conditions, 
  or 
  as 
  a 
  sheer 
  bonus 
  to 
  increase 
  efficiency 
  and 
  faith- 
  

   ful 
  cooperation, 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  paying 
  investment. 
  

  

  Cash 
  Payments 
  for 
  Sundry 
  Labor. 
  

  

  What 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  concerning 
  natives' 
  earnings 
  

   relates 
  wholly 
  to 
  the 
  fund 
  earned 
  by 
  the 
  community 
  in 
  general, 
  mainly 
  

   from 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  skins. 
  Such 
  work 
  as 
  the 
  natives 
  perform 
  as 
  

   laborers 
  or 
  skilled 
  workmen 
  in 
  maintaining 
  the 
  station 
  buildings, 
  

   exclusive 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  residences, 
  is 
  paid 
  in 
  cash 
  monthly. 
  These 
  

   sums, 
  although 
  small, 
  are 
  welcome 
  as 
  representing 
  the 
  only 
  cash 
  the 
  

   natives 
  receive, 
  and 
  because 
  this 
  desultory 
  labor 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  means 
  

   through 
  which 
  the 
  native 
  may 
  get 
  individual 
  results 
  from 
  inde- 
  

   pendent 
  action. 
  Cash 
  thus 
  obtained 
  ahnost 
  invariably 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  

   augment 
  the 
  regular 
  allowance 
  of 
  supplies, 
  and 
  the 
  work 
  through 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  obtained 
  is 
  eagerly 
  sought. 
  Not 
  to 
  pay 
  them 
  individually 
  

   for 
  such 
  work, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  for 
  their 
  benefit, 
  would 
  be 
  to 
  destroy 
  

   the 
  feature 
  which 
  removes 
  their 
  system 
  of 
  existence 
  from 
  mere 
  

   peonage. 
  

  

  Accounts 
  showing 
  the 
  character 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  merchandise 
  issued 
  

   to 
  each 
  native 
  during 
  the 
  year 
  ended 
  June 
  30, 
  1913, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  

   amounts 
  of 
  cash 
  paid 
  to 
  each 
  for 
  labor, 
  with 
  proper 
  receipts, 
  are 
  on 
  

   file 
  with 
  the 
  Bureau, 
  together 
  with 
  invoices, 
  inventories, 
  ledger 
  

   accounts, 
  balance 
  sheets, 
  and 
  a 
  statement 
  of 
  condition 
  of 
  business 
  on 
  

   the 
  date 
  mentioned. 
  Cash 
  slips 
  showing 
  character 
  and 
  amount 
  of 
  all 
  

   cash 
  sales 
  of 
  merchandise 
  are 
  also 
  filed. 
  

  

  SANITATION 
  AND 
  HEALTH. 
  

  

  Importance 
  of 
  Studying 
  Local 
  Conditions. 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  known, 
  the 
  chief 
  diseases 
  of 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pribilof 
  Islands 
  are 
  tuberculosis 
  and 
  related 
  pulmonary 
  troubles. 
  

  

  The 
  importance 
  of 
  a 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  question 
  of 
  health 
  

   and 
  sanitation 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  was 
  early 
  realized, 
  and 
  the 
  matter 
  

   received 
  serious 
  consideration 
  in 
  March, 
  1909, 
  shortly 
  after 
  the 
  trans- 
  

   fer 
  of 
  the 
  fur-seal 
  service 
  to 
  the 
  Bureau. 
  In 
  the 
  general 
  instructions 
  

   issued 
  on 
  March 
  31 
  of 
  that 
  year 
  to 
  the 
  agent 
  in 
  charge 
  this 
  matter 
  

   was 
  presented 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  words: 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  probably 
  no 
  other 
  locality 
  in 
  America 
  where 
  questions 
  of 
  health 
  and 
  sani- 
  

   tation 
  can 
  be 
  studied 
  under 
  such 
  favorable 
  conditions 
  as 
  at 
  the 
  seal 
  islands. 
  These 
  

   ielands 
  are 
  almost 
  completely 
  isolated 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  The 
  population 
  is 
  

  

  