4 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Secretary Redfield. And after that I will ask, if I may, to be 

 excused, subject to your call at any time, and I will ask Dr. Jones 

 to represent me before the committee. 



I am in the fullest sympathy with the wish of the committee not 

 only to throw the fullest light upon the present situation, but upon 

 the past, and shall be glad to cooperate in any way that is within 

 my lawful power or within the scope of nry personal ability in carrying 

 out to the spirit and to the letter what I regard as very wise and sound 

 legislation for the protection of our seal herds. I should like the 

 spirit of the Bureau of Fisheries and of the department to be under- 

 stood as in the broadest way to be in accord with the purposes of 

 the legislation and of your committee. 



I think you ought to know that some weeks ago I instructed the 

 Acting Commissioner of Fisheries to omit from the estimates for th i 

 coming year the post now filled by the gentleman whose title is that 

 of chief of the Alaska division, Dr. Evermann. I felt that that post 

 was no longer necessary, that it was a needless expense, and I will 

 frankly say that I also felt that Dr. Evermann's attitude toward the 

 legislation which is now the law was not such as seemed to me desir- 

 able in the person holding that responsible position. At the same 

 time I gave instructions that the employment by the department of 

 Mr. Lembkey, who was, as I remember, the only survivor of the 

 former staff at the islands, should be terminated, and several days 

 ago I had the pleasure of approving and marking final his last pay 

 check. These changes were made because I deemed it entirely 

 desirable to be rid of any elements that were not in accord with the 

 law as it stands, and because, as I say, the posts were deemed un- 

 necessary. 



The intended organization of the bureau under the estimates now 

 pending and which will be presented to the next session will be to do 

 away with the Alaska division, as it has been called, and to place the 

 entire supervision of the Alaska work — fisheries, fur animals on shore, 

 and the seal islands, all of it — under the direct responsibility of Dr. 

 Jones, the deputy commissioner, so that there will be one officer, 

 and he a prominent one, who will be directly responsible for that work. 



I have been obliged to proceed with this rather earlier than would 

 have been the case, because of the fact that the law requires my esti- 

 mates to be in on the 15th. That is in part the reason why I have 

 not the time to remain at your session as I should be glad to do. I 

 must meet with the President hi the «norning upon the estimates, 

 as they must be ready by the 15th. In courtesy to the Commissioner 

 of Fisheries, who is absent on important business in Europe, I would 

 have preferred to defer making these changes until his return and 

 defer the announcement of them until I could confer with him, but 

 his absence from the city and the fact that these changes had to 

 appear in the estimates, which must be submitted before he returns, 

 have made it necessary to act thus hi advance. I have felt it desirable 

 to make this statement, so that you might know, in considering the 

 whole matter, what the attitude of the department was on this subject. 



The Chairman. Mr. Secretary, we thank you for appearing here 

 and giving us this light on } T our policies, and unless there is objection 

 we will make your statement a part of the hearing. 



Mr. McGuire. Mr. Secretary, may I ask you a question? 



Secretary Redfield. Certainly. 



