INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 461 



The Chairman. You wrote a letter to me after the former com- 

 mittee had filed a report, did you not ? 



Mr. Clark. I have written various letters. 



The Chairman. Have you a copy of it here ? 



Mr. Clark. No, I have not. 



The Chairman. Did you not intend it as an insult to the majority 

 of the committee ? 



Mr. Clark. I do not think I intended it as an insult at all. 



The Chairman. You said it was a relief to turn to the minority 

 report, and that we did not do the right thing. That is what you 

 wrote to me after the last Congress had adjourned. Now what was 

 that for \ 



Mr. Clark. The fur-seal legislation had been going wrong from my 

 point of view as an expert. I was not able to see any reason for all 

 these investigations, and I was very anxious that the law should be 

 repealed. 



The Chairman. What law? 



Mr. Clark. The law suspending land sealing. 



The Chairman. So you think that was a mistake, do you ? 



Mr. Clark. I think it is a mistake, a very serious mistake. 



The Chairman. Why did you write to the committee because you 

 thought the law was wrong ? 



Mr. Clark. Well, your report did not meet the issue. 



The Chairman. Well, that might be a difference of opinion. 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



The Chairman. And we have heard you now before the committee, 

 which is the proper thing to do, and it is entirely improper to write 

 letters to committees and practically insult them; do you not think so ? 



Mr. McGuire. Mr. Chairman, where is that letter? I think, as a 

 citizen, he has a perfect right to express himself about the committee 

 or about anything else, unless it is something unusual. It would be 

 very strange if I should kick on everybody who writes even insulting 

 letters to me. This is a scientific matter about which he expresses an 

 opinion. 



The Chairman. That is true enough ; but it is not a scientific matter 

 to insult the committee. 



Mr. McGuire. I differ very materially about some things that are 

 said in that report, and I think there are some things in it that I can 

 show are not facts, but that is a matter between you and me. As a 

 private citizen and as a scientific man, and as a man in my judgment 

 who knows more about this than anybody who has ever been before 

 the committee, he has a perfect right to criticise me or criticise 

 anything. 



The Chairman. He has that right, and so has anybody else, but the 

 witness is now under oath, and he has made statements inconsistent 

 with his official report to a department of the Government. 



Mr. McGuire. I do not agree with the Chair as to that. 



The Chairman. Just one moment, please. And that is the way to 

 bring matters to the attention of the committee. I want now to show 

 the bias and feeling of this witness, if there is any. 



Mr. McGuire. Then I misunderstood the Chair. 



Mr. Patton. The witness has just been condemned because he 

 expressed his opinion of a public servant. 



The Chairman. Oh, no. 



