INVESTIGATION OP THE FUK-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 253 



Finally one man associated with these experts of Secretary Nagel's 

 appointment, W. I. Lembkey, appeared. He did know what a year- 

 ling seal skin was, and after a determined attempt to deny that he 

 did, the following admission was made by him under cross-examina- 

 tion, to wit (Hearing No. 9, Apr. 13, 1912): 



On page 443: 



"Mr. Elliott. How much can you say is left on a yearling after you have taken 

 the skin off? 



"The Chairman. How much skin is left after you have taken it off? 



"Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; after they remove it for commercial purposes a certain 

 amount is left on. 



" Mr. Lembkey. I stated about 3 inches. 



"Mr. Elliott. Then that would leave a yearling skin to be 35 inches long. 



"Mr. Lembkey. No; if it was 39£ inches long it would leave it 36£ inches. That 

 is, all the animal from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail would be 39J inches 

 long. Three inches off that would leave 36 J inches." 



In this distinct affirmation and statement, Mr. Lembkey tells the committee that a 

 "yearling" fur-seal skin of his own identification and measurement is 36^ inches long. 

 It then became, in order to understand what the lengths of those 12,920 fur-seal skins 

 were, which he took during the season of 1910 on the Pribilof Islands, and then certified 

 them into the record of his work as being — all of them — "taken from male seals not 

 under 2 years of age." (See testimony Apr. 13, 1912, pp. 428, 429, Hearing No. 9). 



With the exhibition as above, of that complete ignorance of the 

 "scientists," we come to the testimony of the one man who directed 

 and did the killing, and who does know, to wit: (Hearing No. 14, p. 

 905; July 25, 1912; Ho. Com. Exp. Dept. Com. and Labor.) 



Mr. Lembkey having thus identified "7,733" of his 12,920 skins as "small pups" 

 and "extra small pups," the committee then examined him as to the lengths of those 

 "small pup" and "extra small pup" skins; he then testified as follows, page 441, 

 Hearing No. 9: 



"Mr. Elliott. I am getting at the analysis of your catch which you have given 

 here already. You have given in a statement here that 8,000 of them were "small" 

 and "extra small." 



"Mr. Lembkey. 7,700. 



"Mr. Elliott. 7,700? 



"Mr. Lembkey, 7,733 were small and extra small pups. 



"Mr. Elliott. Mr. Fraser tells us that those seals, none of them measured more 

 than 34 inches nor less than 30 inches. 



"Mr. Lembkey. The committee can see what Mr. Fraser states. Mr. Fraser states 

 that small pups measured 33| inches in length." 



The Chairman. What would that indicate as to age? 



Mr. Elliott. I am coming to that 



"Mr. Elliott. From there [indicating] to there [indicating] on that diagram- 



"Mr. Lembkey. 33| inches in length, and extra small pups measured 30 inches 

 in length. 



"Mr. Elliott. Then you have some extra small pups there which makes it 8,000? 



"Mr. Lembkey. Only 11 of those. 



"Mr. Elliott. It does not amount to anything. 



"Mi. Lembkey. It just makes your 8,000 about 300 more than the actual number. 



"Mr. Elliott. That is the reason I used those round numbers. It does not amount 

 to anything one way or the other. 



"Mr. Lembkey. The actual number is 300 short of 8,000, Mr. Elliott." 



Mr. Lembkey thus testifies that his own summary and official record of the meas- 

 urements of "7,733 fur seal skins," which he took during the season of 1910 on the 

 Pribilof Islands, declares the fact that not one of them exceeds in length 34 inches. 

 That fact determines them — all of them — to have been the skins taken from yearling 

 seals 



Mr. Madden. Let me ask you a question. According to Mr. Lembkey's testimony 

 read by you, he testified that the length of a yearling would be 39£ inches, and when 

 it was skinned the skin itself would be 36^ inches. Does it always follow that a year- 

 ling seal measures just the same or within an inch or two of the same length? 



