INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 5 



Mr. McGuire. Do I understand from your statement that you are 

 reducing the force on the islands ? 



Secretary Redfield. No. That force, as I recall — Dr. Jones 

 knows the details more intimately — is fixed by Congress. I think 

 vre are leaving out the post of naturalist, are we not ? 



Dr. Jones. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. The changes which you have made 



Secretary Redfield (interposing). Were administrative changes. 



Mr. McGuire. Changes in the method ? 



Secretary Redfield. Changes, to be very frank, in what I re- 

 garded as an injudicious continuance of personnel. 



Mr. McGuire. Principally because you did not regard them as in 

 harmony with the administrative methods of the department ? 



Secretary Redfield. Principally because the places were unneces- 

 sary, and I did not feel justified in continuing the expense, and also 

 because they were out of harmony with the administrative policy of 

 the department, and because I felt them to be out of harmony with 

 the law, which law I regard as a sound and wise one. 



Mr. McGuire. What particular law is that ? 



Secretary Redfield. The law having to do with the five-year 

 closed season for the seal islands. 



Mr. McGuire. You do not mean to say that they were not willing 

 to comply with the law or to submit to the law ? 



Secretary Redfield. No; I do not mean to accuse those gentle- 

 men of any act of disobedience, but I speak of their mental attitude, 

 their past attitude, which seemed to be inharmonious with the law of 

 Congress. 



Mr. McGuire. That is all. 



The Chairman. That is all, Mr. Secretary. 



Secretary Redfield. I am very much obliged to you. 



The Chairman. In accordance with the action of the committee on 

 June 20, the special committee visited the seal islands, and I under- 

 stand they have a report to make. That report has been printed. 

 Now, Mr. Elliott, will you take that up and submit it in your own 

 way, unless some member of the committee has a suggestion to make ? 



Mr. W atkins. Inasmuch as the report is printed and we have 

 access to it, I think it would be better for him to give us an outline 

 and not go into detail, because that would take too much time. 



The Chairman. I understand that there are certain details which 

 Mr. Elliott would like to explain from this map, as he suggested to 

 me this morning. 



Mr. Watkins. Anything which will throw any light on the report. 



The Chairman. Suppose you proceed with it in that way, Mr. 

 Elliott. 



Mr. Elliott (reading) : 



The chairman and gentlemen of the committee 



On the 31st of August last, Mr. Gallagher and myself submitted to you our report 

 of the condition of the fur seal herd of Alaska as we found that life last summer, and 

 also the result of our examination into the conduct of the public business on the 

 Pribilof Islands. 



This report has just been printed by order of the committee and is now on the 

 table before us. Touching it I need say nothing more, but on submitting it to the 

 chairman last August he requ jsted me to prepare a statement as an "expert," and one 

 who for more than 40 years past has had a close personal understanding of the ques- 

 tion, to prepare a statement for the use of this committee which would declare the 

 real amount of property loss sustained by the Public Treasury 



