98 INVESTIGATION" OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



killable male seals over and above the number which, in your opinion, is sufficient to 

 fertilize the female seals, the number taken not to exceed in any event 30,000 seals. 

 The killing of yearlings and seals whose skins weigh less than six pounds is prohibited. 

 Eespectfully, yours, 



C. S. Hamlin, 

 Acting Secretary. 

 True copy: 



Henry W. Elliott. 

 Attest: 



A. F. Gallagher. 



THE PROOF OP VIOLATION OF THE PUBLISHED REGULATIONS OF THE 

 SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, BY ITS LESSEES, IN KILLING YEARLING 

 SEALS AND " SEALS HAVING SKINS WEIGHING LESS THAN 6 POUNDS," 

 DATED MAY 14, 1896; SAID REGULATIONS BEING CAREFULLY 

 SUPPRESSED TO THE COMMITTEE BY THE OFFICIALS OF THE BUREAU 

 OF FISHERIES FROM MAY 31, 1911, TO JULY 30, 1912. * 



The records which show this violation of the department rules and 

 regulations of May 14, 1896, by the lessees up to date of expiration 

 of their lease May 1, 1910, are: 



I. Full details of this violation are found in the London sales 

 catalogues of Messrs. C. M. Lampson Sons, for November-December, 

 5896 to 1909, and by the daily entries made of the killing this season 

 of 1896, and thereafter in the official journal of the United States 

 Treasury agent in charge of the seal islands at St. Pauls village. 

 (See poster.) 



II. The fact that these rules prohibiting the killing of "yearlings" 

 and seals having sknis weighing less than 6 pounds has been suc- 

 cessfully suppressed and concealed by the lessees and their associates, 

 the agents of the Government, is clear when it is known that the 

 Hitchcock rules of May 1, 1904, were issued because it was not known 

 then, to their author that they had been published in 1896, on the 

 islands, and were never cancelled bv the department. 



On the 27th of July, 1912, Mr. H. W. Eliott testified to the com- 

 mittee as follows (Hearing No. 14, pp. 950, 951): 



Dr. D. S. Jordar., with the full cooperation of the Treasury Department in 1896-97, 

 and Commerce and Labor up to 1912, is responsible for the killing of female seals for 

 their skins by the lessees of the seal islands of Alaska. He went up to these islands 

 in 1896 and 1897 and was empowered by the Secretary of the Treasury to fix the 

 number of seals that might be killed for their skins in those seasons, respectively, 



1 Committee on Expenditures in the 



Department of Commerce and Labor, 

 House of Representatives, 



Friday, April 19, 1919 



The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. John H. Rothermel (chairman) presiding. 

 Present: Representatives McDermott, Young, McGuire, and Patton. 



testimony of bakton w. evermann. 



The witness was sworn by the chairman. 



The Chairman. Doctor, you may state your official position. 



Dr. Evermann. My official position is assistant in charge of the Alaska fisheries service, in the Bureau of 

 Fisheries, Department of Commerce and Labor. 



The Chairman. Xow. if you desire, you may proceed to submit whatever facts you have for the con- 

 sideration of the committee. 



Dr. Evermann. The second charge is that at least 128,478 yearling male seals were killed by the lessee 

 from 1S90 to 1909. both inclusive, contrary to law and the regulations. 



In answer to this charge it should be sufficient to say that the law has never made it illegal to killyearling 

 male seals; nor has it ever been contrary to the regulations to kill yearling male seals, except in the seasons 

 of 1904 and 1905, as is shown by the regulations for the various years to which I have called your attention. 

 Therefore, even if 12S.47S yearling male seals have been killed since 1899 (which is not admitted) they could 

 not have been killed illegally, because there was no law against killing yearling male seals, and there has 

 been no regulation against killing yearling male seals except in 1904 to 1909. 



