FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 153 



STATEMENT OF MR. GEORGE R. TINGLE. 



Washington, D. C, Sejptember 24, 1888. 



George E. Tingle, sworn and examined : 

 By the Chairman : 



Q. Please state yonr ofiQ cial position. — A. I am the United States 

 Treasury agent in charge of the far-seal islands of Alaska at the pres- 

 ent time. 



Q. You have visited those islands and discharged your official duties 

 for what length of time? — A. I was appointed United States Treasury 

 agent by this administration in April, 1885, and proceeded to the 

 islands in May, 1885, arriving there on the 29th of May. I remained 

 there continuously until August, 1886. I was there during the winter 

 and continuously for fifteen mouths upon the islands. I came down to 

 the States in August, 1886, and returned to the islands in May, 1887, 

 and remained during the summer, attending to the duties of my office, 

 overseeing the taking and shipment of seals, and came back in August, 

 1887. I returned to the islands in May, 1888, and remained during the 

 last summer, attending to the duties of my olfice. After completing my 

 report and shipment of the season's catch of seals I returned to San 

 Francisco. 



Q. You have just returned from the islands'? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. State the nature and character of your official duties and gener- 

 ally what you are required to do? — A. I am the representative of the 

 Government upon those islands, and have three assistant agents. I am 

 required to see that the lessees do not violate the law under their con- 

 tract, and I am supposed to govern the natives, i)rotect, them and regu- 

 late them. Practically the Government agents are the governors of the 

 islands in connection with the management of the seal business. The 

 ageuts have absolute control of the natives. The lessees have not any- 

 thing to do with them or their management, other than to employ them 

 as their operatives and pay them. The Government agents are required 

 to see that the natives are kept in subjection, and that they perform 

 their duties toward the lessees, protect the seal rookeries particularly 

 from any interference, either from the lessees, their employes, the 

 natives, or any person visiting the islands. We guard and protect the 

 seal rookeries. 



Q. You supervise and overlook the taking of fur seals ? — A. I do. 



Q. You see that it is done according to law "? — A. I go on the killing 

 fields and see that the seals are properly driven and killed. I take a 

 personal supervision over the business, see that the seals are driven and 

 killed with the least possible loss of seal life. We are very particular 

 as to that, and the Government agent frequently has occasion to repri- 

 mand the natives for hurrying the seals along too fast. When they be- 

 come overheated the^' often die, and unless the skins are taken imme- 

 diately afterward, when the weather is hot, the skins are not good. If 

 it is a cold and wet day, the skins would be good for a day or two after 

 the seal dies. I frequently walk over the driving ground to see that 

 the natives are doing their work right, and I remain during the killing 

 and skinning on the field to see that the work is going on satisfactorily. 

 My assistants count the skins when they are taken into the salt-houses. 

 The company's agent throws the skins out of the pile and counts them, 

 and the Government agent counts them with him. When the season's 



