524 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUK-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



The Chairman. Then why did you try to impress the committee 

 with the fact that you were not given the chance to make this exami- 

 nation ? 



Mr. Clark. I want to say right here that I have no fault with 

 these figures as they stand, but there are two vital points left out. 

 One of them is the breadth of skin — - — 



The Chairman (interposing). Now, Mr. Clark, we can verify your 

 conclusions because these skins are snugly tied away. 



Mr. Clark. Have they been undisturbed since they were taken 

 away from the islands ? 



The Chairman. Yes, sir; they are in the custody of the Govern- 

 ment. 



Mr. Clark. How were those skins recognized ? 



The Chairman. They were recognized by tags that were put on 

 and the Government has separated them from the rest, and they are 

 intact as they came from the islands. Now, I want to caution you 

 right here that when it comes to your expressing an opinion to this 

 committee to impress us with the truth of the taking of these skins 

 that they are in such a position that your conclusions can be verified 

 and will be verified, and I do this as a matter of precaution to you. 



Mr. Clark. And I wish to make this statement : When these bun- 

 dles were made up I called Mr. Elliott's attention to the fact that in 

 the bundling the leather tags were wrapped in. I said, "Wouid it 

 not be well for us to tag these bundles with a number, 1,2, 3, and 4 V 

 He said, "No; the leather tags will be sufficient;" and they were 

 wrapped in so that they would not be broken off. In order to find 

 those leather numbers you would have to open every single bundle. 



The Chairman. They have been opened and examined and placed 

 back exactly where they belong, and the Bureau of Fisheries was rep- 

 resented. 



Mr. Clark. You could not make me believe that the skins could 

 be opened and rebundled by amateurs or by anybody but the man 

 who bundled them on the island. 



The Chairman. It is not a question of whether they can bundle 

 them. I am telling you that the skins are intact and can be identi- 

 fied. I do it as a matter of precaution, when you want to tell this 

 committee that it is a case of girth between these skins that I have 

 pointed out to you, when there is a difference of half an inch in size and 

 3 pounds in weight, that that is not due to the blubber that is on 

 them. 



Mr. Clark. I want to say that when you say "size" you mean 

 "length." But length does not mean size. That is what I protest 

 against here and what I protested against there, that you must have 

 the breadth in order to get the size, and the length does not give the 

 size. 



The Chairman. I understand you perfectly. I have heard from 

 other sources that you would come before this committee and claim 

 that to be the fact. 



Mr. Clark. Yes: I told Mr. Elliott so. 



Mr. Elliott. You did not tell me so on the islands. 



The Chairman. And I wish to make this statement here and now: 

 That there is complaint in all of the committees here in Congress that 

 you can not get witnesses to come and be straightforward and frank. 



