FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA 213 



men under him were soiuewliat spoiled. The great trouble, Mr. Chair- 

 man, there is that the Government otiQcers have not been doing their 

 duty, and they have si)<)iled the company, so much so that they seem 

 to think that ibiiey not only own the seals but that they own the whole 

 island. 



Q. The company's employes? — A. Yes, sir. They gradually drop 

 into that way, from the Government officers not doing their duty, and 

 its being simply left open to men who have no oath to regard. When 

 I got on the island, for instance, I found one officer — you know you 

 will have to lake a good deal from hearsay gossip — 1 found one officer 

 there would hardly speak to another officer. One was the father of a 

 child by a chambermaid, and the other bad a woman for his mistress, 

 the wife of one of tbe best men. 



Of course, with that example set, it's hard to criticise the company's 

 people. I found tbis state of affairs there. In fact, one of these officers 

 on the day he k^ft — he left in a hurry — and be bad $50 or $60 worth of 

 goods that be wanted left to bis woman, and he asked me to give it to 

 her or some one of her relations. 



Q. Was that a Government officer, an agent of the Treasury Depart- 

 ment?— A. Yes, sir; botli were sworn officers of the Government. 



Q. Who were rliey ? — A. I would not like to give their names. If it 

 is necessary, I will do so, bur I would not like to do it. 



Q. Unless it is a matter affecting the administration of their office. — 

 A. Tbey are not in office now and I do not think it would do any good. 



Q. Tl'iat is a matter rather of bad morals tbau affecting the adminis- 

 tration of their office. — A. [ only felt it my duty to tell these facts to 

 show that if people are bad and immorally inclined, they have been di- 

 rected that way as much, or more so, as a rule, by the Government of- 

 ficers, considering their high position, than by the company men. If 

 Government officers will work together and do their duty in keeping 

 within their oaths and set good example, tbe company people will be 

 ke]>t in reasonable bounds of decency. 



Q. AVhile you were there did you observe any such dissoluteness — 



for instance, turning the company's house and Government bouse 



A. No, not while I was there. If anything of that kind was going on 

 while I was there, I would not speak of tbis subject. I would not bring 

 it up here. 



Q. Was any such condition of things at tbe company house under 

 your observation? — A. No, sir; nothing direct. Only reports of ille- 

 gitimate children being born and things of that kind. While I was on 

 the island I believe there was only one act of disobedience on tbe part 

 of tbe natives, which I punished.' That was, they wanted a killing of 

 seal, and I ordered them to take no seal under 7 pounds and they took 

 some 5-pound skins. My requests to the company they met promptly 

 except in one or two small instances. To show you how officers up 

 there will differ — it is very far away and some peoi)le want to show 

 iheir little authority and do not digest well the thought of not being 

 around showing their authority — I wrote my superior officer I could not 

 congratulate the peojde on their advancement in speaking English. 

 That is all I said about it, ami that I bad requested tbe company not to 

 be talking Aleut to them uidess it was necessary. He wrote there was 

 no law compelling the company people to speak English to tbe natives. 

 I wrote back to him that I did not say there was a law for it, but I had 

 made tbe request upon tbe com])any not to be talking Aleut all the 

 time and not to use it except when necessary, and that tbe officers of 

 the company had most politely complied with my request. 



