236 COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



been offered by the Government Agents in charge of the islands * 

 276 of the principles under which they were guided to allow this 



lowering of standards, with the concomitant encroachment on 

 the limits of breeding rookeries, and the extension of the area of 

 driving to places hitherto held in reserve. 



The circumstances thus disclosed by the statements 

 made in the Case presented on the part of the United 

 States, go far towards establishing the statements so fre- 

 quently made, that the Comj)any holding the lease of the 

 Pribyloff Islands exercised a very powerful influence over 

 the Grovernment officials who were appointed to supervise 

 its operations. 



THIS ASSERTION, THAT THE "QUOTA" WAS UNDER GOV- 

 ERNMENT CONTROL, WHEN IT REMAINED UNALTERED, 

 THOUGH REDUCTION NECESSARY, IS THEREFORE MIS- 

 LEADING. 



This particular phase of the "control" or "management" 

 exercised by the Government is very lightly touched upon 

 in the Case of the United States, where it is said: 



■United States The number of seals allowed to be killed annually by the lessees 

 Case, pp. 153, 154. ^.^g, from 1871 to 1889, inclusive, 100,000, but this nuinber is variable 

 and entirely within the control of the Treasury Department of the 

 United States. In 1889 Charles J. Goff, then the Government Agent 

 on the islands, reported to the Department that lie considered it 

 necessary to reduce the quota of skins to be taken in 1890. The Gov- 

 ernment at once reduced the number to 60,000, and ordered the kill- 

 ing of seals to cease on the 20th July. 



ADMISSIONS IN UNITED STATES CASE THAT UNUSUAL AND 

 INJURIOUS MEASURES ADOPTED TO FILL UNCHANGED 

 "QUOTA" IN LATE YEARS. 



It is submitted that the statement above quoted does not 

 represent the facts as they occurred. 

 The United States Commissioners write as follows: 



Ibid., p. 338. jt ig well known that during the last few years the operating Com- 

 pany had experienced difficnlty in finding a sufficient number of high-class 

 skins to Jill the quota jtermitted by the Government, and that finally that 

 quota Avas greatly reduced by order of the Representatives of the 

 Government on the islands. 



On the other hand, Professor J. A. Allen says: 



TTnitefl States During the last two or three years, however, and in consequence 



vof t mj^'w' 408' ^^ *^® decline from the former status of the herd, it has been necessary 



' ' ' ' 'to lower the age of seals selected for killing, and also to rcdrive portions of 



the herd, in order to secure even the greatly restricted quota allowed to ie 



taken in 1S90, the last year of killing for commercial purposes. 



* These were: Agents 11. G. Otis, H. A. Glidden, G. R. Tingle, and 

 C. J. Gotf. (The last-named reported against the continued killing 

 of the "quota," and was removed.) Assistant Agents W. B. Ward- 

 man, L. Kimmel, H. G. Fowler, A. P. Lond, T. J. Ryan, J. P. Manches- 

 ter, W. Gavitt, J. Murray, and S. R. Nettleton. 



The names of several of these officers occur prominently among 

 those of persons now produced in evidence by the United States. 



