SEALSKIN INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES. 543 



of the duty of 20 per cent collected on the " dressed skins" returned to 

 this country from the London market. From 1873 to 1887, inclusive, 

 this return has been 121,275 skins. 



(3) The Pribilof group consists of the islands of St. Paul and St. 

 George, and is a Government reservation in that part prji^uof isiami 

 of Bering- Sea ceded to the United States by Russia, 

 together with and a part of Alaska. So exhaustive an account of 

 these islands and their seal life has been given by Mr, H. W. Elliott, 

 special agent of Treasury Department in 1874, and since intimately 

 connected with the Smithsonian Institution, which account has been 

 made a part of Tenth Census Report, that it would be intrusive here 

 to attempt to supplement aught, and therefore only generalizations 

 based on said report and such statements of life and procedure on the 

 islands to-day are presented as may be pertinent in this connection. 



These islands are places of annual resort for the largest herd of fur- 

 seal the world has ever known, and the only one of 

 great importance now existing. After most careful ex- "^'^ of I'eid of. 

 amination, Mr. Elliott estimated their numbers at over 4,500,000. After 

 a thorough study of the influences which act for or against the increase 

 or diminution of the life of this vast body, taking into account the kill- 

 ing of 100,000 annually for their skins, Mr. Elliott says: "I have no 

 hesitation in saying quite confidently that under the present rules and 

 regulations governing the sealing interest on these islands, the increase 

 or the diminution of the life will amount to nothing; that the seals will 

 continue for all time about the same number and condition." It goes 

 without saying that if new influences for destruction are brought in, 

 seal life would be diminished in proportion to the effectiveness of said 

 influences. 



It is safe to say that these animals are all United States property 

 and ha^nng been born on United States soil and reared ' 



in United States waters in the twenty-one years that TT^•'i°^*^o^^'. "^ *^^ 



-, , , . , , . ,^ A 1 , 1 T^ . United States. 



have elapsed since the cession of Alaska by Russia, 

 and having the instinct of regular return to their home, which accords 

 them a status in law, they would seem to be entitled to the protection 

 of their Government while they are in the acknowledged boundaries 

 of their country. 



The right to take 100,000 seal skins annually from these islands, under 

 certain stipulated restrictions, is leased by the Govern- Lease to Alaska 

 ment of the United States to an association of American commercial com- 

 citizens known as the Alaska Commercial Company. ^'^°'^' 

 The company pays a rental of $55,000 per annum and Term.sof. 

 $2.{)2i per skin, a total of $317,500 per annum, for this right. They are also 

 obligated to a certain care of the Aleuts inhabiting the islands and to 

 a partial provision for their needs, both mental and physical. 



They pay to these Aleuts 40 cents per skin or $40^,001) per annum 

 for their services in taking the skins. They have also 

 built for them a church and school-house, and maintain of^Sl"™*' ^^^ 

 teachers and physicians on the islands. 



At the time of the cession of Alaska to the United States these people 

 were hving in huts, or more properly holes in the ground, 

 and had no ambitions or aspirations beyond supporting o/,"X°e7'^ ''°'"^'*^'*'° 

 their daily existence in a painful and laborious way. 

 Now they are living in frame houses provided for them by the company, 

 and have accumulated savings, invested in United States bonds in San 

 Francisco, amounting on August 1, 1887, to $94,128.28. It is safe to say 



