APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 887 



No. 22. 



I, Horatio Creamer, of No 40, St. Paul's Churchyard, and No. 9, Old 

 Change, in the City of London, fur manufacturer, solemnly and. sin- 

 cerely declare as follows: 



1. I am a member of the tirm of Messrs. J. and H. Creamer, fur man- 

 ufacturers. I have been personally engaged in the fur-seal business 

 tor upwards of twenty years. In the course of our business my firm 

 purchase large quantities of seal-skins in their raw or salted condition 

 at the sales of Messrs. Lampson and Co. and others in Loudon, and 

 these skins we have dressed and dyed by some London dresser and 

 dyer, and we then manufacture them in our workshoi)s into articles 

 which we dispose of to the trade. We also sell to the trade annually 

 a certain quantity of seal-skins which are merely dressed and dyed. 



2. There are three chief classes of seal-skins: 



(1.) The Alaskas, which come from the Priby loft" Islands; 



(2.) The Coppers, which come from the Commander Islands; and 



(3.) What is known as the North-west Catch. 



Of these Alaskas are the most valuable. 



The chief reasons which influence the price in favour of Alaskas are 

 the following: 



(1.) The quality of the Alaskan fur is much superior on the average 

 to the quality of the Copper fur, that is to say, it is, as a rule, denser, 

 and thicker, and it has been found by experience to wear better. 



(2.) The size of the Alaskan skin is, on an average, also larger than 

 the size of the Copper skin. This is probably due to some extent to 

 the selection and handling on the islands. 



3. I am not aware of any other differences between the two classes 

 of skins. If there are any, they are of a very trivial nature. I do not 

 consider there is any material difference in shape. 



4. In inspecting all the consignments made from the Pribyloff Islands 

 of Alaska seals through Messrs. Lampson, I have always noticed a cer- 

 tain percentage of skins which, had I seen them amongst the Coppers, I 

 should certainly have taken them for Coppers, and in the same way in 

 inspecting skins from the Copper Islands, I have noticed a certain per- 

 centage which resembled the Alaskan description. It is a difficult 

 matter to estimate what this percentage would be, but, in my judgment, 

 it would be from 15 to 20 per cent., certainly not more. In the dressed 

 and dyed state the percentage would be increased to more like 40 per 

 cent, or more. 



5. I am of opinion that if 100 raw skins^SO Alaskas and 50 Cop- 

 pers — were i)ut together, there is not a man in the trade who could 

 accurately separate them. 



6. I am strongly of opinion that some regulations should be made 

 applicable to the islands and the sea with the view to preserving the 

 seal industry, such as a close season, or some kindred scheme. I should 

 be opposed to any scheme which would have the effect of entirely put- 

 ting an end to the North-west Catch. It appears to me that if a certain 

 number of mate seals can be killed on the islands without risking the 

 future supply, a proportionate number of females could be killed with- 

 out risk, and, to my mind, this could be done with perfect safety. 



245 I am also opposed to the entire suppression of the North-west 



Catch, because it would have the effect of placing the monopoly 

 in the hands of the lessees for the time being of the islands, who could, 

 if they wished, remove the whole of the seal-skin industry away from 

 this country. 



