234 COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



CONTROL BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS IN REALITY INEF- 

 FECTIVE. 



See pp. 226 et The subject-matter of some of tliese assertions has already 

 **^* been iu part dealt with more particularly, in foregoing- 



pages, which treat of the early history of the United States 

 management of tlie Pribyloff Islands. Keasous will here be 

 given to justify a belief that the control exercdsed on the 

 Pribyloff Islands and in connection with the fur-seal indus- 

 try by, the United States through its Agents has through- 

 out been lax and defective; that in many cases the officials 

 of the Company leasing the islands appear in reality to 

 have controlled the Government Agents; that from time to 

 time accusations of improper conduct have been laid against 

 the Agents and officers, both of the Government and the 

 Company; and that, as a matter of fact, the supervision of 

 the natives, and of the handling of the seals there, have 

 practically been under the control of the Company, and not 

 of the Government Agents. 



THIS RESULT FORESEEN BY MR. BOUTWELL. 



Speaking in 1870 of the proposal at that time first under 

 discussion for the leasing of the Pribyloff Islands to a Com- 

 pany for a term of years, Mr. Boutwell, tlieu Secretary of 

 State for the United States, took exception to it on the 

 ground that it would create a monopoly, and added: 



4l8t Cong.,l8t Moreover, the natives of the islands wonld be'nnder the control of 

 Sess., Ex. Doc. the Company, and as the expiration of the lease approached, 



* ■ 274 the inducements to protect them and preserve the fisheries 



would diminish, especially if the Company saw, as would prob- 

 ably be the case, that it had no hope of a renewal of its privileges. 

 Under these circumstances, the Government of the United States 

 would necessarily be subjected to great expense and trouble. . . . 

 I am of oi)iniou that it is better that the Government should assume 

 the entire control of the business of the islands, and exclude every- 

 body but its own servants and agents; that it should establish a rigid 

 system of police, excluding from the islands distilled spirits and lire- 

 arms, and subject vessels that touch there to forfeiture, except when 

 they are driven to seek shelter, or for necessary repairs. 



INEFFICIENCY OF CONTROL SPECIALLY EVIDENCED BY 

 NON-REDFCTION OF QUOTA. 



It is submitted that the above remarks of Secretary 

 Boutwell have beeneutirelyjustified by the subsequent his- 

 tory of the Pribyloff' Islands under the operation of the 

 lease which was entered into not long afterwards. The 

 exact conditions which were foreseen by the Secretary in 

 effect did grow up; and at the expiry of the lease, and even 

 since under the operations of a new lease, some of those 

 best informed on the whole subject are found to advocate 

 the same system of direct Government control as that sug- 

 gested by Secretary BoutAvell. 



In connection with the amount and efficiency of the con- 

 trol actually exercised over the operations of the Company 

 on the Pribyloff Islands by the United States Government, 

 the most imjjortant question is that of the number of seals 

 allowed to be killed, and of the relation of that number to 

 the actual state of the seal rookeries on these breeding- 

 islands. 



