FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. XXIX 



and where they collect more or less land furs. This husiness they conld not msijutain 

 without the fnr-seal contract becanse a number of these stations are non-paying. 



Q. You mean unproiitable ? — A. 1 mean unprofitable, maintained at an actual^ash 

 loss annually. Most of their stations pay something. The most valuable fur that 

 they have heretofore gotten has been the sea otter, but of late years the sea otter has 

 been hunted so vigorously by white hunters and others that the supply of that fur 

 is very largely reduced. 



Q. By competition ? — A. Yes; by competition. Their business in Alaska is prin- 

 cipally on the far-nf al islands, aud their business elsewhere has no connection witii 

 that aud docs not keep people out of the Territory at all. Since I have been there 

 their vessels have been at the service of any person wishing to travel up to Alaska. 

 It carried missionaries, traders, and their families, miners, and others who happen to 

 be at the stations; such always got passage. I have never known an instance where 

 they refused passage to any one who undertook the establishment of a store or trad- 

 ing-post at any point in Alaska. The company has its stations at all points vrhere 

 it is at all probable they will have a profit, and it does all the business it can, but 

 it is in competition with many others. 



Q. Is their influence in any respect, in your opinion, deleterious to the public in- 

 terest ? — A. Not to the natives. If it were not for this company I believe the natives 

 in many portions of Alaska would be in a starving condition. If this company did 

 not go there and carry provisions to them and take what few furs they have the 

 natives would have to go some place else, for they would be in a half-starved condi- 

 tion, and no better than they were under Russian rule, which was certainly deplora- 

 ble. The i>resence of tbe Alaska Commercial Company in Alaska has been, in my 

 judgment, a greater civilizer to the people of Alaska, and has been of more benefit to 

 them that all the Rev. Sheldon Jackson's crowd of missionaries has ever been. 



[Testimony of W. B. Taylor, ex-Treasury agent.] 



Q. The fur trade there was open to free competition throughout the Territory? — 

 A. So far as I know. I know of no reason why, if they conform to the general law 

 which is applicable to fur trading; that is, the employment of natives, any other 

 company has not the same right that the Alaska Commercial Company has to carry 

 on business ; but so far as I have been able to ascertain in regard to that, the business 

 has not been a profitable one for more than one company, and in fact I think the 

 Alaska Commercial Company could not carry on the business were it not that they 

 have had the fur-seal island business, which made it necessary for them to own two 

 vessels, and they could use them in the same trade to carry on business. And that is one 

 reason why they have been able to carry on the other business and to extend the trade 

 in the interior and through the Territory, and I look upon that trading business as a 

 Godsend to those people. Without it the Government would be obliged to make pro- 

 vision to care for them — I mean the natives throughout the Territory; of course the 

 same thing is adapted to the seal islands, but it is the general trade I am speaking 

 of now, because if you refer to the revenue reports which have been made from time 

 to time, you will find there a large number of small settlements that have been found 

 in a starving condition almost every year that they have been visited, and large 

 numbers of these people have died of starvation, and they have given them supplies 

 over and over again. 



Q. Do you mean the company ? — A. No ; the Government has. These supplies have 

 been dealt out by the revenue-cutters to keep these people from starving in localities 

 where there is no trading, and in localities where they have trading, and collecting 

 furs, ivory, and whalebone, and such things as that and trade them to traders — the 

 Alaska Commercial Company, I suppose, do the bulk of the business in that way — 

 they can get provisions, money, food, clothing, and all that which is necessary, and 

 can exist. Just how many people there are in Alaska dependent upon that trade lam 

 not in a position to state, but it ruus into the thousands. 



Q. Involving the main bulk of the natives?— A. Yes, pretty much all of them. I 

 look upon that trading as absolutely necessary by the Alaska Commercial Company 

 orsomo company who continues to do that in order to keep these people from starv- 



Washington, B.OrrSeptembfT 17, 1888. 

 Dr. H. H. McIXTTRE, called and examined. 



By Mr. Jeffries : 

 Q. Please state your name and occupation. — A. H, H. Mcluliyre,- I am superintcud- 

 pnt of the seal fisheriea of Alaska for the lessees. 



