INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 521 



of 5 pounds 11 ounces, and in that case the skin would be of a greater 

 area and therefore would have a right to weigh a greater amount. 



The Chairman. Now, Mr. Clark, I am going to caution you in your 

 testimony. You are sworn before this committee, and the girths of 

 those animals will be taken. If you are so positive that that is the 

 fact, is it not a fact that these skins were blubbered and that caused 

 the difference in the weights ? 



Mr. Clark. I closely inspected these skins as they passed before me 

 and I was not aware that they were heavily blubbered or unusually 

 blubbered at all. I did not know what the object of that experiment 

 was, and I did not make a specific diagnosis of that particular phase 

 of it, but these particular skins passed before us and nothing unusual 

 was found by Mr. Whitney, Mr. Hatton, and myself. 



The Chairman. Do you want to swear now that the blubber did 

 not cause this condition ? 



Mr. Clark. I can not swear to that unless you show me the girth 

 measurement of this skin. 



The Chairman. You had the skins before you ? 



Mr. Clark. I was not permitted to measure them. 



The Chairman. Did you not have the skins before you? 



Mr. Clark. Yes ; lying on the table. 



The Chairman. And each one of them was before you and you were 

 asked to look at them and verify them ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



The Chairman. You were asked to verify the statements of Gal- 

 lagher and Elliott? 



Mr. Clark. Yes; but I was not permitted to get the breadth; I 

 was not permitted to take the breadth measurement. 



Mr. Elliott. That is not in the record. That is false. 



Mr. Patton. I do not think one witness ought to be permitted to 

 sit back here and tell another witness this testimony is false. 



Mr. Elliott. Well, he has drawn me into it. 



The Chairman. One moment, Mr. Elliott, until you are permitted 

 to speak. 



Mr. Elliott. Well, all right. 



The Chairman. Now, take skin No. 6, No. 4240, that measured 31 

 inches, and weighed 5 pounds 15f ounces; then you take No. 7 skin, 

 No. 4242, another skin measuring 31 inches weighing 4 pounds 5j 

 ounces. This is all due to the blubber that was on these skins and is 

 on them now, is it not ? 



Mr Clark. I do not know anything of the kind, Mr. Rothermel. 



The Chairman. Now, Mr. Clark, you saw the skins and they were 

 passed to you for inspection, were they not ? 



Mr. Clark. No, sir; I was told that I must not interfere with this 

 experiment. 



The Chairman. Were they passed to you for inspection? 



Mr. Clark. I was permitted to look at them. 



Mr. Elliott. The same as I was. 



The Chairman. One moment, Mr. Elliott. 



Mr. Stephens. I think we had better separate these witnesses. 



Mr. Elliott. No ; I will be good, but my name must not be quoted. 



Mr. Clark. Of course, I presume that these figures here were made 

 by Messrs. Elliott and Gallagher. 



Mr. Elliott. Elliott and yourself. 



