198 INVESTIGATION OF THE EUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Jordan, Leonhard Stejneger, Frederic A. Lucas, Edwin A. Sims, 

 Charles H. Townsend, Barton Warren Evermann, Walter I. Lembkey, 

 Millard C. Marsh, George M. Bowers, Hugh M. Smith, H. D. Chiches- 

 ter, and George A. Clark. (See the official record of that presence 

 and vote, p. 814, Appendix A, H. Com. Exp. Dept. C. & L., June 24, 

 1911.) 



Secretary Nagel, in his letter to Senator Dixon dated January 14, 



1911, and before he issued his orders through Bowers and Lembkey 

 to kill seals on the Pribilof Islands, 12,002 of them in June and July 

 following, has this to say in justification of that order for this killing 

 of 6,247 yearling seals, which followed his directions. 



Remember he had the specific protest of April 26, 1909, and proof 

 of its charge September 30, 1909, before him, against the work of 

 his agents m 1909 and 1910 — that work of killing female and male 

 yearling seals in violation of the law, and of the regulations pledged 

 to the Congress of the United States March 9, 1904 (the Hitchcock 

 rules). With those protests and proof thereof in hisjiands, he stated 

 to the Senate committee January 14, 1911: 



Under existing conditions I can not believe that the seal herds would be in any 

 sense conserved by suspending the killing of male seals in the manner in which it is 

 now being done. So long as pelagic sealing is continued there does not appear to me 

 to be even room for discussion. I believe it can be demonstrated that the number 

 of female seals killed by the pelagic sealers substantially equals the number of male 

 seals killed by the Government. If that the true, one and perhaps the chief argument 

 which has been advanced would seem to be without foundation. 



However, if pelagic sealing were discontinued and all the female seals were abso- 

 lutely protected, I still believe that it would be perfectly safe, and in a measure 

 necessary, in so far as the conservation of the herd is concerned, to kill a certain per- 

 centage of male seals. Of course my personal judgment is without value. I am 

 relying upon the advice of experts who have been appointed to inquire and report, 

 and who have given the department the benefit of their opinion. 



Here he tells the committee that he believes in killing those small 

 seals "in the manner in which it is being done." 



Then he declares that while his "personal judgment is without 

 value, I am relying upon the advice of experts who have been ap- 

 pointed to inquire and report, and who have given the department 

 the benefit of their opinion." 



When those "experts," Stejneger, Merriam, Townsend, Lucas, and 

 Evermann came up before the House committee in April and May, 



1912, each and every one of them declared themselves ignorant of 

 what Nagel had done with regard to killing yearling seals. They 

 did not know what a yearling sealskin was. (See Hearing No. 14, 

 pp. 914-919, July 25, 1912, H. Com. Exp. Dept. C. & L.) 



When Secretary Nagel in order to fortify himself against attack, 

 called the " advisory board on fur seal service" into session at Wash- 

 ington, D. C, November 23, 1909, and got from that body of " experts" 

 (Jordan, Lucas, Townsend, Evermann, Bowers, Hugh Smith, Stej- 

 neger, Clark, and Lembkey) the " unanimous recommendation" 

 that he renew the seal lease and continue this improper killing of 95 

 per cent of the male life, it will be noticed that Dr. C. Hartt Merriam 

 and Frank H. Hitchcock did not attend and join in that "unanimous" 

 recommendation. 



