FUR SEALS OF ALASKA. 5] 
you and states something as a fact which is not true. He tells you 
that the pelagic people are going practically out of business, when in 
truth they have done a big business last year. Instead of only getting 
12,000 skins, [ have the proof that they got 27,000. How was he 
deceived? I will tell you. 
Mr. Fautxner. Will you present the proof to the committee? 
Mr. Extiotrr. Yes; I have shown here more than his statement. He 
has gone of course, on official orders, to the United States consul at 
Victoria. Our consul goes to the Canadian collector of customs; the 
collector of customs is in with this Victoria Sealing Company. He 
wants to make as poor a showing of the work of his hunters for our 
people as possible, so we will have less opposition to them. They have 
been doing that for years; they have been hiding their returns from 
the Secretary of the Treasury. They only allowed 7,296 skins through 
our consul in 1902, when they took 29.812, and had Mr. Shaw tell you so. 
Mr. Shaw put certain clerks in his office on the carpet when I opened 
his eyes, December 4, 1902, to the error of his report to Congress of 
December 3, and thev had a great clerical circus and a bad half hour 
with the Secretary. I don’t know what became of it, but that didn’t 
make any. difference; the high official mischief was done—with all 
respect to this young man. He is in a position where he will be ter- 
ribly tried and tempted; but Lam perfectly willing to trust him. Heis 
fully equal to the task if he is not interfered with. 
The Cuatrman. I don’t think we will go into that. We are not 
going to assume that everybody connected with the sealing business 
is dishonest or likely to be except yourself, and I think you are going 
away off from the question. The question is whether you will regulate 
the killing on the island and not how many thousands of seals these 
pelagic sealers kill. 
Mr. Exxrorr. I think we should restrict the land killing to a mini- 
mum of small male seals annually; indeed, it is imperative that we do 
so. Why, 42 per cent of the breeding bulls have disappeared since 1901. 
Fifty per cent will go of what is left in the next two years, and then 
all go, unless young bulls are spared now. I think Congress ought to 
restrict it to-day, so it will stay shut down that way for afew years 
at least. The killing of food seals is especially provided for in the 
law. It does not interfere with the contract; it gives the Department 
of Commerce a chance to get nothing but the inferior male seals and 
lets the surplus bull seals fight it out ina state of nature. If you do 
not. you will never get young, virile breeding bulls to take the place 
of those old fellows now rapidily passing away. 
Mr. Hitz. You do not think it would be right for the Department 
of Commerce to take 15,000 seals and sell them themselves in the face 
of a binding contract? 
Mr. Extiorr. Under this contract the Department of Commerce 
can take them and turn them right over for the tax. There is nothing 
to prevent that. 
Mr. Fautxyer. It directs them to be sold by the Department and 
turn into the Treasury the amount of money. 
Mr. Exziotr. They can be sold without your tax. 
Mr. Fautxner. We do not buy skins. 
Mr. Exriorr. You can have them for vour tax. 
Mr. Wiiu1ams, of Mississippi. The resolution could be amended to 
meet that. 
