FUR'St^AL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 167 



Oeorg^. 1 am required to go over to Otter Island, G miles away, where 

 there are some seals. Sometimes these schooners go in there and kill 

 seals. If we had a steam-launch we could go over theie and capture 

 them. A steam-launch of 20 tons would be a very valuable acquisition 

 to the islands. 



Q. From your observation of the Government's interest there, would 

 you recommend a change in the present i)olicy of the Government as 

 to leasing the islands or operating them directly by the Government's 

 ■own agents ? — A. It would be best for the Government to operate the 

 islands, if it would always employ the same help for years right along. 

 But it would be entirely impracticable for the Government to run the 

 business if they are going- to change their ofUcers with every adminis- 

 tration. Every time they got on a new force the business would 

 dwindle. It would not be very creditable or profitable to the Govern- 

 ment. If they would keep the same set of men, year in and year out, 

 the Government might conduct the property profitably. This business 

 must be run as a monopoly, whether by the Government or by a cor- 

 poration, in order to preserve seal life. The lessees take just as much 

 interest in preserving seal life upon those islands as the Government 

 does, and if I am to be asked what my opinion is on the question, I 

 Mould say that the better plan would be for the Government to lease 

 the property. 



Q. Should it be leased to one company, or should it be divided ? — A. 

 It should never be divided. The best way to do is to give it to one i)er- 

 son, one corporation, or one set of men, and not have conflicting inter- 

 ests upon the islands. Of course there are those who would like to 

 have the contract. There are a number of i)eople who speak disparag- 

 ingly of the fur-seal business and berate this comjjany. I am not the 

 champion of anybody except the Government. I would like to see the 

 Government get out of it all there is in it. More than anything-, I would 

 like to see our rights in Bering Sea maintained for all time, that the 

 fur seal may be preserved for the benefit of the people of the world. 

 The amount of money concerned is nothing at all in comparison with 

 the economy of the fur seal, and the thing, in my judgment, to do is to 

 let this property to the best bidder for a term of years, with absolute 

 protection guarantied. 



Q. Do you think the revenues of the Government can be increased 

 without serious detriment to seal life?— A. Certainly; there is no ques- 

 tion about it. I do not think that the company now operating the is- 

 lands can cause any detriment in taking its quota of 100,000 every year. 



Q. Do you think the number of killable seals would iucrease if the 

 protection is increased? — A. The number of killable seals can be in- 

 creased, and possibly thereby cheapen the price. There is no question 

 but they will iucrease if given additional protection. 



By Mr. Felton : 

 Q. Would not the policy of authorizing an increase of the killing de- 

 pend very much upon the commercial value of the skins? — A. The 

 lessees would regulate that, and I think it would. 



By the Chairman : 



Q. The lessees look after the price, and the Government after the 

 reveuue and seal life? — A. There is but one way to run the property, I 

 think, with the least scandal and the least objection and the greatest 

 profit, and that is by this contract system. 



Q. From your observations, do you think it likely, if the Government 

 were to attempt to operate the rookeries and take the skins, it might 



