INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 215 

 Investigation of Fur-Seal Industry of Alaska. 



Committee on 

 Department 



m, 



Expenditures in the 

 of Commerce and Labor, 

 House of Representatives, 



Tuesday, July 11, 1911. 



, Hon. John H. Rothermel (chairman) 



A great deal has been said before 



The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a 

 presiding. 



The Chairman. I have some questions to ask 

 the committee about the illegal killing of seals on these islands, and I have therefore 

 requested Prof. Elliott to make out a statement of what he considers a proper estimate 

 of such illegal Idlling in the last 20 years of the lease. I told him to make the estimate 

 year by'year, and to submit it to the committee, and he has this statement here. I 

 will ask you, Prof. Elliott, to take it up and discuss it with the committee, and I do 

 this upon the theory that if the lessees were guilt}" of any illegal killing of seals, or 

 were guilty of bringing this herd to partial destruction, that, under the securities that 

 are lodged with the Government, as I understand it, they ought to make good what- 

 ever they did in the way of injur}" to the Government by any violation of the law, 

 administration orders, or the provisions of the lease. I want the witness to state as 

 an expert how many such killings of seals there may have been, and what he con- 

 siders has been the injury done to the Government during the last 20 years. 



Mr. Elliott. Mr. Chairman, I will read the statement in detail: 



MEMORANDUM, FOR HON. JOHN H. ROTHERMEL, IN RE SEAL SKINS TAKEN BY LESSEES 



IN VIOLATION OF LAW. 



Minimum numbers of yearling seals talcen in violation of law by the North American 

 rmmercial Co., or lessees of the seal islands of Alaslca. Figures talcen from the sales 

 catalogues of Messrs. C. M. Lamp son' s Sons, London, during period of lease held by 

 the N. A. C. Co. aforesi '. 



Total 

 skins 

 taken. 



1890. 

 1891. 

 1892. 

 1893. 

 1894. 

 1895. 

 1896. 

 1897. 

 1898. 

 1899. 



20,310 



13,473 



7,554 



7,492 



16, 030 



15,002 



30,004 



20,762 



18,032 



16,804 



1900 2 22,473 



Year- 

 lings. 



3,823 

 11,200 

 C 1 ) 



1,400 

 2,200 

 13, 000 

 8,000 

 4,000 

 3, 500 

 9, 500 



1901 



1902 



1903 



1904 



1905 



1906 



1907 



1908 



1909 



Total 



Total 

 skins 

 taken. 



22, 672 

 22, 304 

 19,374 

 13,128 

 14, 368 

 14, 478 

 14, 888 

 14,965 

 14,350 



354, 413 



Year- 

 lings. 



13, 000 

 14,500 

 15, 600 

 6,500 

 6,918 

 6,837 

 7,000 

 6,500 

 7,000 



128, 478 



i Modus vivendi. 2 Standard lowered this year for first time to "5-pound skins," or "yearlings." 



July 10, 1911. 



Henry W. Elliott. 



Mr. Cable. May I ask one question? 



The Chairman. Certainly. 



Mr. Cable. Is it now against the law, or has it ever been against the law, to take a 

 seal 1 year old? May I ask what is the understanding of the committee on that ques- 

 tion? I want to get straight on it myself. Has it not always been perfectly legal to 

 take seals a year old or more than a year old? 



Mr. Elliott. That is absolutely true. These seals are taken in June and July, 

 but until the 1st of August following no one can tell what is a yearling seal. 



Mr. Cable. Then, is it your contention that this list you ha\-e read is based on 

 seals that are killed under 1 year of age? 



Mr. Elliott. They must be under 1 year old. If you kill them in June or July, 

 the benefit of the doubt belongs to them. If you kill a yearling seal on the 9th day 

 of July, how do 3 r ou know that it was born on the 9th day of July a year ago? 



Mr. Cable. I am not a seal expert. 



Mr. Elliott. You nor no other man could determine that. 



