242 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OE ALASKA. 



continuation of such "scientific" indorsement. Prior to this the 

 naturalists, generally, had secured the insertion of a clause in an 

 appropriation bill as early as March 3, 1893 (27 Stat., 583), which 

 reads as follows: 



The Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries is authorized and required to investigate 

 under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, and when so requested report 

 annually to him regarding the conditions of seal life upon the rookeries of the Pribilof 

 Islands; and he is also directed to continue the inquiries relative to the life history 

 and migrations of the fur seals frequenting the waters of Bering Sea. 



This caused the sending of several naturalists to the islands in 

 1894 and 1895 on that errand. The lessees had not found any of 

 them at all troublesome, and when Dr. Jordan closed his initial service 

 to them in 1897 as a scientist, they resolved to have no succeeding 

 naturalist get up there who might not be as tractable. 



So, the astute and active lessee, United States Senator Elkins, in 

 the full determination to have a man at the head of this Bureau of 

 Fisheries on whom he could rely, secured the appointment and the 

 confirmation of one George M. Bowers, as United States Commissioner 

 of Fisheries, in February, 1898. 



Here was a man notoriously ignorant of every detail of this office, 

 and yet selected and confirmed in spite of the law which declares 

 that he "must be learned as a fish culturist," and "an educated 

 scientist" — just because lessee Elkins wanted it done for this per- 

 sonal reason. And that man Bowers came before the House com- 

 mittee with a pitiful attempt to tell them that Elkins did not order 

 his appointment and confirmation, to wit: 



Mr. Bowers. I never asked a single man in the United States to indorse me for the 

 Commissionership of Fisheries. 



Mr. Townsend. If you will impart information to this committee as to how to secure 

 such good positions without indorsements, it will be interesting. 



Mr. Bowers. I had the indorsements for the collectorship of Senator Elkins and 

 then 



Mr. Townsend (interposing). That is all right. Now, we will go on from that point. 

 Senator Elkins, at the time he indorsed you for that office, and when he found 



Mr. Bowers (interposing). Not for that office; he did not indorse me for the col- 

 lectorship at all. 



Mr. Townsend. Did he indorse you for this position of Commissioner of Fisheries? 



Mr. Bowers. I presume he did, as did the entire West Virginia delegation, as well 

 as ex-Senator Faulkner, at that time a member of the Senate. 



Mr. Townsend. I have no doubt they were perfectly justified in doing so, because 

 you have the reputation of being a very skillful and useful man, and there is no re- 

 flection implied in this question. I am simply trying to get before the committee 

 whom your political backers were. 



Mr. Bowers. Well, Senator Elkins and I were warm friends. 



Mr. Townsend. And he was at that time a stockholder, was he not, in the company 

 that had the contract for the seal killing? 



Mr. Bowers. I was not aware of that, sir, and I am not to-day. And I never heard 

 that Senator Elkins held an interest in the seal contract until I was told so on the 

 islands in 1906. 



Mr. McDermott. What, did they say to you at that time? 



Mr. Bowers. I was told by one of the employees of the North American Commercial 

 Co., when I was there with Mr. Sims, that "your Senator from West Virginia is a stock- 

 holder in this company." 



Mr. Townsend. That was before the transfer was made to your department that 

 you became aware of that? 



Mr. Bowers. Well, I was told that at that time. 



Mr. Townsend. Now, that is satisfactory. You took charge of the affairs of this 

 contract something like 15 or 16 months before the expiration of the contract, did vou 

 not? 



Mr. Bowers. Yes; something like that. (Hearing No. 2, pp. 70, 71, June 9, 1911. 

 H. Com. Exp. Dept. Com. & Labor.) 



