INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 191 



illegal work to be eagerly and energetically prosecuted by both 

 lessees and agents of the Government concerned, to wit: 



Washington, D. C, September 25, 1900. 



It is understood in this year's catch there is a much larger number than usual of 

 2-year-olds; the officials are very anxious that the young males in the herd should 

 be weeded out as closely as possible, and as has been stated. * * * The depart- 

 ment would be glad if a way could be found to induce the lessees to kill a considerable 

 number of the 5-year-old bulls. (Fur Trade Review: New York City, October, 

 1900, p. 513.) 



This utterly absurd and untruthful statement being made to con- 

 ceal the truth that during this very season of 1900, there were so few 

 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds, and still fewer 4-year-olds, with no 

 5-year-olds left, that the lessees had issued orders to get every year- 

 ling seal that hauled out, every one save the "runts" <i. e., the 

 "Ex. Ex. Sm. Pups"). 



Then, to soberly and boldly come into the presence of the House 

 committee, and swear that no yearlings had ever been killed, from 

 May 31, 1911, until the truth had been forced out of them April 13, 

 1912, was the business of Secretary Charles Nagel and his entire 

 staff of fur-seal officials and "experts." 



PROOF OF GUILTY KNOWLEDGE OF UNLAWFUL TAKING OF YEARLING 



SEALSKINS, 1896-1912. 



That Charles Nagel, Geo. M. Bowers, Barton W. Evermann, Dr. 

 David Starr Jordan, Geo. A. Clark, and the entire fur-seal service 

 under their control had full and authoritative knowledge of the real 

 weights of one, two, three, four, five, and six year old sealskins 

 when fresh removed and properly skinned for salt curing, is well proven 

 by the following facts of official record in the Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor, when they prosecuted and directed the killing of fur 

 seals on the Pribilof Islands during the seasons of 1909, 1910, 1911, 

 1912, and 1913, to wit: 



I. On April 17, 1874, Congress passed an act, which was approved 

 on the 22d following, entitled "An act to enable the Secretary of the 

 Treasury to gather authentic information in regard to the condition 

 of the fur-seal herd of Alaska, and for other purposes," etc. 



II. In obedience to the order of this act the Secretary appointed 

 and instructed a special agent charged with that duty; his report was 

 rendered to the Secretary November 16 following, and the Secretary, 

 in June, 1875, published it as the accepted and fully established 

 authority on all questions regarding the fur-seal herd and the con- 

 duct of the pubhc business on the seal islands of Alaska. This 

 official publication is entitled "A Report Upon the Condition of Af- 

 fairs in the Territory of Alaska: November 16, 1874. 8vo. pp. 277. 

 Washington. Government Printing Office. 1875. By Henry W. 

 Elliott, special agent Treasury Department." 



This was printed, and bound in cloth boards, and distributed by 

 the department to all of its customs agents on the Pacific coast and in 

 Alaska, on the seal islands, and very generally to the customs agents 

 of the department in Washington, D. C, New England, New York, and 

 Baltimore. 



