528 TESTIMONY 



in whac qiiautities they will be placed upon the market. It requires 



tVom three to six mouths to properly dress aud dye skins, aud if while 



this process is goiug- on further sales take place (as has beeu the case 



at frequent intervals iu the last two years), the tendency is to unsettle 



the market, advance or reduce the raw material, aud 



st^dy market ^°^ ^ ^^^^ dlrcctly aflcct both dealers and manufacturers. 



This has happened of late years only. I ascribe the 



Decrease is caused prescut uusatisfactory couditiou of the business to the 



y pe agie sea ing. injinlous operations of the Victoria sealers, whom I 



furthermore hold directly responsible for the present diminished catch 



of Alaska seals upon the Pribilof Islands. 



Samuel Ullmann, 



Sworn to before me this 21st day of June, 1802. 



[l. s.] ' GeokCtK Kissinger, Jr., 



Notary Public {No. .95), Clti/ and County of New YorJc. 



Deposition of C. Francis Bates, member of the firm of Martin Bates, jr., 

 d^ Co.,fu^Tiers, New Yorli, 



general sealskin industry. 



State of New York, 



City and County of New YorT{, ss : 

 C. Francis Bates, being duly sworn, says: I am 67 years of age, a 



Ex erience citizcu of the tjuitcd Statcs, and a resident of the city 



xpenence. ^^ New York. Early in this century my father estab- 



lished a wholesale fur business in this city, and to this business I have 

 succeeded. I have been engaged in it for the past fifty years. 

 It is now carried on under the name of Martin Bates, jr., & Co. For 

 many years we have beeu large purchasers of Alaska (or Pribilof 

 Island) fur-seal skins, having bought in London and brought to this 



Number of skins couutry bctwceu the years 1879 and 1891, 71,904 such 

 imported by firm from skius. I aui familiar with the value and extent of the 

 1879 to 1891. industry of manufacturing articles of fur-seal skins in 



this country, my house having until very recently been largely interested 

 in it. This industry is one of great value to the United States. The 

 fur-seal skin is in many respects one of the most valuable furs that has 



corroborites affl ^^^^' bccn placcd Oil the market. I have read the 

 davit of' Voscph Statement hcrcto anuexcd aud signed the name of my 

 Si"crwitif iaft\,nia^ ^^^'^^ thcroto. I Ijelievc it to be in all respects correct. 

 graph of Samuel uiV I havc read the last paragraj)h in the affidavit of Samuel 

 '"'"'"^' Ullmann. hereto annexed and agree with what is said 



therein. 



0. Francis Bates. 



Sworn to before me this 22d day of June, 1892. 



[l. s.j ' George Kissenger, Jr., 



Notary Ptiblic {No. 90), City and County of New Yorlc 



