INVESTIGATION" OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OP ALASKA. 503 



Mr. McGuire. I was going to call the attention of the witness to 

 what his assistants had to say. 



Mr. Clark. Now, on page 138, and following, of this document 

 marked Hearing No. 1, are notes from the island logs, which Mr. Elliott 

 has submitted as proof that I did not make these counts accurately. 



Mr. McGuire. On what page is that ? 



Mr. Clark. It is on page 138 of Hearing No. 1, on which are re- 

 corded the views of the agents regarding a previous pup count, but not 

 regarding this count at all. The agents and natives have not found 

 pup counting an easy task, and have not enjoyed it, or the prospect 

 of its being taken up as a regular annual work, and they have recorded 

 in that log their views regarding their own efforts in this direction, 

 that is all. No reference whatever is made here to the count which I 

 made. What other .people may think I did is one thing, what I did is 

 another. Mr. Elliott had an opportunity to stay and count these 

 pups with me. I invited him to do that, in the letter which I read to 

 you to-day. He left the island the day before the work began, and 

 by hurrying my work, I gave him two days start on his homeward 

 journey, hoping he could spend those two days in counting the pups 

 on St. George Island, but he evaded the issue. 



The Chairman. I had given him instructions to do so. I told him 

 that because I had known of your past in regard to this matter, when 

 I heard you were going up, I said that they should make it independ- 

 ently, for the committee. I did it. 



Mr. Clark. You understand I am not complaining about your 

 action, Mr. Chairman. 



The Chairman. No; but it ought to be sufficient that you can not 

 attach any blame to him and Gallagher, when I told them not to let 

 anybody make a count with them, because they were sent by the com- 

 mittee. I did not know you were sent by the department at the time 

 I did it. 



Mr. Clark. Why does he attack my figures ? 



Mr. McGuire. My idea in calling this out is simply this: The 

 figures of the witness have been attacked in Mr. Elliott's report. 

 Witness, I take it, did not know anything about Mr. Elliott's instruc- 

 tions from you, Mr. Chairman. I did not know anything about them. 

 It is all news to me. This is the first time I have heard of it. I did 

 not know there was any difference between the department and the 

 committee, if there is any. 



The Chairman. There is not any difference between us. I did not 

 know that Mr. Redfield had sent him- up. 



Mr. McGuire. If I had known anything about Mr. Elliott being 

 sent by the committee — that is, if it had been done by committee, 

 action, I might not have been here — I would have insisted that the 

 two go together. 



The Chairman. They telegraphed me during the summer and I 

 wired back that they were sent by the committee, and they should 

 make an independent count. 



Mr. McGuire. I think the witness ought to be permitted to give 

 his statement, not with any idea of reflecting on Mr. Elliott at all, 

 but I think the record ought to be clear as to that. 



The Chairman. If that is true, and your figures are disputed, Mr. 

 Clark, it is entirely proper that you should go ahead and explain them. 



