FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. VII 



the business at that time, with persons in its employment of skill and experience, and 

 which was composed of capitalists of conceded strength and high character. If the 

 lease had been made with any firm or company who had failed in its execution, or 

 who had proved faithless to the obligations incurred, the loss to the Treasury might 

 have proved very serious, in the extermination of the seals and the loss of the largo 

 revenue now being derived therefrom, and likely to be continued for many years to 

 come, under the present management. 



In conclusion, they concur in the opinion that the lease with the Alaska Commercial 

 Compnny was made in pursuance of the law ; that it was made in the interest of the 

 United States and properly granted to the Alaska Commercial Company ; that the 

 interest of the United States was properly protected in all the requirements of the 

 law, and that all the lessees have faithfully complied with their part of the contract. 



This report was adopted by the House, and your committee, after a full 

 consideration of the testimony on which it rests, found no sufiQcient rea- 

 son for reviewing the action of said committee and the House in the 

 premises. 



No testimony has been presented to your committee, nor any intima- 

 tion that testimony existed, other than that taken by that committee, 

 that would conflict with that conclusion. 



FOURTH. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT BY THE LESSEE. 



All the witnesses concur in the statement that the Alaska Commercial 

 Company has fully performed the covenants and stipulations of said 

 contract, and observed the law and regulations prescribed by the Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury relating thereto. 



It further appears from the testimony that in addition to the require- 

 ments of the lease the lessee has contributed liberally to the welfare, 

 comfort, and jjrosperity of the native inhabitants of the islands; it has 

 built a comfortable house for each family on both islands, for which it 

 charges no rent ; i)rovided stoves free of charge, and maintains a physi- 

 cian on each island all the year at its own cost, and provides medical 

 attendance and mediciues to the natives without charge, and maintains 

 and supports the native widows and orphans. 



The native laborers receive 40 cents for removing each seal-skin, or 

 $40,000 for the catch of 100,000 seals, and are paid $1 per day while en- 

 gaged at other labor. In 1887 they had on deposit to their credit in 

 San Francisco, drawing interest, the sum of $64,732.11, and other na- 

 tives of the Aleutian chain have been induced to accumulate savings 

 amounting to $29,390.17. 



Goods and merchandise are supplied by the company at an advance 

 of 25 per cent, above San Francisco wholesale prices. 



Their chief article of food is seal meat, which costs them nothing. 

 Dried salmon are furnished by the company under its contract; and as" 

 they pay no rent and their fuel is free, their living expenses are but 

 little. See, further. Appendix A, hereto. 



FIFTH. THE RECEIPTS AND EXPENSES OF THE GOVERNMENT ON AC- 

 COUNT OF SAID CONTRACT. 



The total amount paid by the lessee on account of said contract up to 

 June 30, 1888, inclusive, was $5,597,100. The total amount expended 

 by the Government during the same period was about $250,000 for sal- 

 aries and traveling expenses of agents of the Treasury Department at 

 the seal islands, and about $150,000 for the revenue-cutter.«* cruising 

 Alaskan waters. 



