FUE-SEAL FliiiElilES OF ALASKA. 49 



ther than that. They never permit any one to suffer on the island for 

 anything, no matter how improvident they niay be. The instructions, 

 I suppose, come from headquarters, and they will always provide them 

 witli fuel and food, even though they are not obliged to; l3ut still they 

 do that, and they give them all the medical attendance and medicines 

 they require without any cost to them. And so far as my observation 

 went, there was never any neglect of anything which they needed to 

 make them comfortable or anything of that kind. 



Q. Is there any charge made by the company lor medicines ? — A. No, 

 sir. The natives are able to see the physician at any time. They are a 

 very superstitious people, and they are running to the |)hysician daily, 

 so that they all wake the rounds every day or two. The pliysician has 

 about all he can attend to^ though, of course, the mosi of the prescrip- 

 tions do not amount to much except to satisfy their superstitious. 



Q. You are informed that the doctor is a conscientious man, and took 

 the best care he could of them ? — A. Yes, sir ; they employed a good 

 physician and paid bim good wages, and so far as their services go, I 

 do not see but what they are as good as anywhere else. They do not 

 have anything else to do but to go around and visit the sick, or pre- 

 scribe for them in the office the same as any other physician would do 

 anywhere else. There are a great many things in detail, little matters, 

 that I could not go into very well without giving them some considera- 

 tion, and, in fact, I did not know uutil I arrived here this morning just 

 the character and scope of this investigation and what it was. 1 did 

 intend to have brought along a memorandum book which I kept of all 

 these incidents as they occurred from day to day, but I suppose these 

 are immaterial. 



The Chaieman. This is a general inquiry as to how successful the 

 administration of that interest has been under the policy of the Govern- 

 ment, with a view to ascertaining whether the contracts have been faith- 

 fully carried out and complied with by the company and whether the 

 Government's interest has been fully and faithfully protected, in order 

 that we may advise Congress whether it is wise to continue that policy 

 hereafter or not. 



Q. Is there any relation existing between the United States and the 

 Alaska Commercial Company in reference to its business in Alaska out- 

 side of the seal islands? — A. I know that the Alaska Commercial Com- 

 pany has a number of stations through Alaska. 



Q. The Government has no connection with those? — A. The Govern- 

 ment has no connection with them that I know of. At least I know 

 that there is no duty of any kind imposed. 



Q. These stations are not involved, of course, in this contract, but is 

 there competition in that business 1 — A. There has been, but I believe 

 there is not now. A number — well, not a number — but there was at 

 that time in operation what is known as a defunct company, which I 

 believe they called the Western Fur and Trading Company, that had 

 business at Ooualaska, but they had been bought out by the Alaska 

 Commercial Company. 



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 con- 

 form to the general law which is ap[)licable to fur trading, that is, the 

 employment of natives, that any other company has not tlie same right 

 that the Ala5?ka Commercial Compajiy has to carry on business, but so 

 far as 1 have been able to ascertain in regard to that, the business has 

 not been a i)rofitable one for more than one company, and in fact I 

 think the Alaska Commercial Company could not carry on the business 

 998-1 4 



