568 TESTIMONY. 



dyed, wliicli difficulties culminated in a strike of tlieir operatives 

 about the year 1873, tlie result of Avbicli "was tbat tlie lii m of Martin 

 & Teichmann took over that portion of the business of Messrs. Op- 

 l)euheim & Co. connected with the dressing and dyeing of fur-seal 

 skins as aforesaid and began a system of education of their own oper- 

 atives, and that from that time until wdthin a year ago the business of 

 dressing and dyeing skins has been practically controlled by the firms 

 of Martin & Teichmann & Co. and C. W. Mitrtin & Sons, and lias be- 

 come an established and important industry, in which a large amount 

 of capital is invested and a large number of persons employed. 



The firm of C. W. Martin & Sons has employed until the last two 



Persons employed Y^ars 500 persous, and emi)loy at the present moment 



aud wages paid by about 460 pcTSOUs, most of w^hom arc skilled laborers, 



his firm. receiving on an average at least 30 shillings a w^eek, 



and most of whom have families dependent upon them for their sup- 



13ort. Deponent estimates that the total number of 



in^'^ndon ®™P^°^'®^ pcrsous employed directly or indirectly in the business 



of dressing, dyeing, handling, and cutting fur-seal skins 



up to within the last two years in the city of London was about 2,000. 



Third. That the business is carried on in the city of London, briefly, 

 as follows: Messrs. C. M. Lampson & Co., and during the last two 

 ^ , , , years one or two other firms, advertised the annual 



LondoD trade sales. *', ,, j, ii- j^ i • i 1.1.11 j. 



sales ot fur-seal skins, of which very much the largest 

 number are advertised and sold by C. M. Lampson & Co. That 

 at such sales merchants and furriers from all over the world are 

 present or represented, and make their purchases of fur-seal skins 

 for the ensuing season. After the sales the skins purchased are deliv- 

 ered by the purchasers to my firm and others for dressing and dyeing. 

 Most of the seal skins dressed by my firm are hkewise 

 of^w"^''""^'^^*''"^ intrusted to us to be dyed, but some of the merchants, 

 notably Eevillon Freres, of Paris, have the skins which 

 have been dressed for them by us dyed in France, and this is true of 

 one or two other firms, although Eevillon Freres are the principal firm 

 who so do. This makes the number of furs dressed by us larger than 

 the number dyed. 



Fourth. Deponent knows of his own knowledge and from conversa- 

 tions with the merchants and dealers above mentioned 

 stoTsuilp^v'!'*' ■'' '""' ^^^^^ ^* is a matter of vital importance to the continu- 

 ance of the of fur-seal industry and the industries re- 

 sulting therefrom and dependent thereon that the supply of fur-seal 

 skins should be constant; that is, that the number of skins coming upon 

 the market in each year should be known the year beforehand with 

 approximate certainty, and that it should not vary greatly from year 

 to year. That this is necessary in order that prices may be fixed and 

 that those per.sons or firms who lihysically deal with the skins, such as 

 tieponeut's firm, should know what provision they must make for the 

 ^ , , , business of the ensuing season. That down to within 



Supply regular to ,, , , ^ 



withiu the past three a tcw ycars hist ])ast, three or five years, the supply 

 or five years. jj^^g ^^^^,^ regular, but that during tlie last three or five 



years, and notably during the last two years, the supply has fluctuated 

 very largely and continually diminished aud in consequence thereof 

 business has greatly suflered. 



Fifth. That the skins which have come to the London market within 



Sources of supply, the last fcw ycars have been piuncipally what are 



Alaska, Copper Is- kuowii as tlic Ahiska catcli, the Copper Island catch 



cltchea."^ ^"'^'""'"^ iind the Northwest catch. Small supplies are also 



