INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 525 



Mr. McGuire. Don't 



The Chairman (continuing). And I do this to caution the witness. 

 One day 



Mr. Patton (interposing). Mr. Chairman 



The Chairman (continuing). One day they come — and it is my 

 experience and the experience of other Members of the House — and 

 make one statement and the next day they come back and change it. 

 There are remedies here for that 



Mr.. Patton (interposing). Mr. Chairman 



The Chairman (continuing). And I want to make this statement 

 as a matter of precaution. Here is a witness who distinctly and abso- 

 lutely stated on Saturday that extra small pups were yearlings. 

 "When he is confronted with the facts and finds that in one year there 

 were 1,528 taken instead of 711 since 1904, he comes with what was 

 agreed upon before some tribunal or some commission and says that 

 he was mistaken. 



Mr. McGuire. Mr. Chairman, you understand that is a statement 

 of the Chair. I do not agree with the Chair at all as to what the wit- 

 ness has testified with respect to that matter, and it is just as plain in 

 my memory as the letters of the alphabet that when the Chair was 

 somewhat persistent with the witness and wanted a direct answer, 

 that the witness said he would like to explain fully, and the Chair 

 told him that he would have that opportunity later. This morning 

 it was my purpose in my interrogations to give the witness an oppor° 

 tunity to explain fully as a scientific man. I suppose the witness is 

 willing to take all responsibilities for this testimony. I have seen 

 nothing in his testimony so far to which exception ought to be taken. 



The Chairman. It must not be overlooked that the question of 

 killing yearling seals on the part of the sealing company and on the 

 part of the special agents of the Government goes to the very marrow 

 of the matters which are involved here, and are material. It is not 

 merely a question of damages which the Government ought to collect 

 if these violations of the law were committed; not only should there 

 be damages collected, but men ought to be punished if they were 

 guilty parties to any such transaction. 



Mr. Patton. Mr. Chairman, I think that that is a matter for argu- 

 ment before the House of Representatives. I doubt the advisability 

 or the propriety of lecturing any witness. 



The Chairman. I am calling attention to this fact because these 

 men are before this committee, and I doit to impress them that it can 

 not be said afterwards: "Oh, well, I overlooked that; it was but an 

 error of judgment." 



Mr. McGuire. Well, I do not agree with the chairman at all. 



Mr. Patton. You make a statement that you have heard certain 

 things about witnesses coming before committees and not giving cor- 

 rect testimony. Do you mean to insinuate that witnesses come here 

 and deliberately tell untruths to other committees ? 



The Chairman. I mean that there is a general complaint of that 

 kind. 



Mr. Patton. That may be, but where it is hard to get evidence I 

 do not think it is right to insinuate that a witness comes here and 



fives incorrect testimony. I know if I were a witness I would not 

 e a witness before this committee under the present way of con- 

 ducting it, with a man coming in and breaking in on the testimony. 



