FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 285 



ands are satisfied with their condition and treatment by the agents and 

 employes 6t the company ? Mr. Gavitt said that they were dissatisfied, 

 you remember, in his evidence. — A. 1 can not say that they are entirely 

 and perfectly satisfied. I do not think that would be just exactly the 

 truth, because they are a restless people. They will ask the new agent 

 representing the Government if there has been any change in the laws, 

 and will possibly ask him who the seals belong to, and if they did not 

 belong to them. They are hoping all the time there will be something 

 turn up by which their condition will be changed a little, not that it will 

 be for the better or that they have any clear idea as to what they want. 

 You take any one of them who has any complaints to make and say, 

 "All right, if you are dissatified I will send you to Oonalaska," and 

 he will say, "Oh, no ; do not send me away from here ; I do not want to 

 go away from here," that is not the idea at all. When you talk of giv- 

 ing them a residence any place but these islands they are perfectly 

 satisfied ; they would not for any consideration be removed from those 

 Islands. 



Q. Do you mean to convey the idea that they would like to have the 

 seals turned over to them "? — A. Yes, sir ; they asked me the question 

 when I went up on the island. The next complaint is, that they are not 

 allowed sugar. They would say, "We have no sugar for our tea and 

 coffee." The truth is, you cart not trust them with sugar or anything 

 else of which intoxicants can be made. They will swear to you that 

 they will not use it for that purpose, but they can not help it. They 

 will do it and lie to you. No matter under what condition they would 

 get 5 pounds of sugar they would go and use that sugar for making 

 quass. For this reason we can not trust them with sugar, and they are 

 not allowed to have it at all. Their condition since sugar has been 

 kept from them has vastly improved, and is improving all the time. 



Mr. Jeffries. Mr. Chairman, would you ask him whether that was 

 done by authority and by the consent of the Government agents — that 

 stopping of the issuing of sugar "? 



The Witness. The matter was represented to the Secretary of the 

 Treasury before I went there. I found this a matter of record, and my 

 immediate predecessors, Captain Moulton and Mr. Glidden, carried out 

 this recommendation. They recommended to the Secretary that sugar 

 should be kep: away from them, and the Secretary authorized that it 

 should not be issued to them. It was by authority of the Treasury De- 

 partment that the sugar was taken from them. The Alaska Commer- 

 cial Company had no choice in the matter. If they issue sugar to the 

 natives the Government officer would haul them over the coals for it 

 and they would not presume to do it without his order. They do not 

 do anything on those islands in violation of the Treasury regulations or 

 the law, if they know it. 



The Chairman. What do you say about the treatment of the na- 

 tives by the company's agents? 



The Witness. It has always been my opinion that the treatment of 

 the natives i'< entirely too good. They spoil them for anybody else who 

 may come after them. They expect more than they will ever receive 

 again from any other con^pany. They treat them with a great deal of 

 care and consideration, and' allow them a great many things gratuit- 

 ously they are not bound by the contract or under the law to give, 

 and it would be hard for tlie natives to understand why the same treat- 

 ment was not continued to them. I know of no laboring class of people 

 in this country at any place who receive as much money, consideration, 

 and comfort for so little work. Their work, all told, in taking the seal 



