18 INVESTIGATION OP THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASEA. 



Mr. Elliott. It makes a difference of from one-fourth to one-half 

 a pound in weight. I testified to that effect, and everybody opposed 

 me 



Mr. McGuire. My recollection was 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). They all opposed me, but I alone 

 brought in proof of my statement. I will read from our report 

 (p. 112) what was' done in 1904: 



Lembkey tells the truth in 1904, and records the fact that salting sealskins increases 

 their weight. 



Chief Special Agent Lembkey makes the following entry on page 149 of the journal 

 of the Government agent on St. Paul Island, Alaska, to wit: 



Saturday, July 23, 1904. 



On July 18, 107 skins taken on Tolstoi were weighed and salted. To-day they were 

 hauled out of the kench and reweighed. 



At the time of killing they weighed 705 pounds, and on being taken out they 

 weighed 759J pounds, a gain in salting of 54J pounds, or one-half pound per skin. 

 A true copy, made July 22, 1913. 



Attest: Henry W. Elliott, 



A. F. Gallagher. 

 Agents House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce. 



But Lembkey falls from truth above — falls hard. (Hearing No. 9, pp.446, Apr. 12, 

 1912, House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce and Labor.) 



Mr. Elliott. Mr. Lembkey, you say you never have weighed these skins after you 

 have salted them? You have never weighed them? 



Mr. Lembkey. I have never weighed them after the salting on the islands; no, sir. 



There is one of your authorities that impressed you, Mr. McGuire. 



Mr. McGuire. I do not see that it makes any change 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). It does make a change of one-half a 

 pound per skin of increase in weight. In Hearing No. 9, pages 445-446, 

 April 13, 1912, House Committee on Expenditures in the Department 

 of Commerce and Labor, Mr. Lembkey goes on to say, "All our 

 experiments show that the salting of skins slightly decrease the 

 weight." 

 . The Chairman. That was my recollection. 



Mr. Elliott. That was what the officials of the Bureau of Fisheries 

 said, and here is their chief authority. The only practical man who 

 has handled thousands and tens of thousands of skins, says that it 

 does increase the weight. 



Mr. McGuire. Are you talking about Mr. Lembkey, Doctor? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. And he says it does increase the weight? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; there was a gain in salting of 54^ pounds, 

 or one-half pound per skin. 



Mr. McGuire. Upon that question, if I remember the testimony 

 correctly, it brought in the element of time, and the question of how 

 much of the salt could be extracted. Xow, I do not catch anything 

 there in that testimony that would affect anything except the present 

 time. Of course, it would increase the weight when first applied, 

 but after the salt has had time to work out its effect upon the skin, 

 after the chemical processes that go on have been completed, then, 

 when you extract the salt, these juices are eUminated. You do not 

 take this element of time into account. 



Mr. Elliott. The element of time comes in with the British report. 

 Here is their report. Let me read from page 113 of the report: 



Mr. Elliott. Now, in Senate Executive Document No. 177, Fifty-third Congress, 

 second session, pages 117 and 118 (S. Ex. Doc. 177, pt. 7), counter case of the United 



