536 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Clark. I have no complaint of the accuracy of the test made. 

 The weighing was carefully done and everything was in order, so 

 far as that is concerned. The only thing was the omission of the 

 vital weights of individual skins before the rock salt and twine had 

 been added. 



Mr. McGuire. That is what I am asking you. Could that have 

 been an accurate test if they weighed the rock salt and twine with 

 the skins ? 



Mr. Clark. I could not possibly give you any information as to 

 what effect salting had on the skins. 



Mr. McGuire. That is what I am asking. 



Mr. Clark. No; because we would have admitted before we 

 started that rock salt and baling twine had weight. In fact, I pro- 

 tested against the using of this method, because we would have ad- 

 mitted that fact at the outset, and that all that was necessary was to 

 weigh the amount of salt and the amount of twine that went into one 

 bundle, and we would grant it for all the rest of them. 



Mr. McGuire. That would have been an accurate test, would it not, 

 to weigh the salt and the twine ? 



Mr. Clark. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. Then, with those 400 skins that have been men- 

 tioned here, it is utterly impossible, in view of what has been done, 

 to determine what would have been the actual difference between 

 the green skin and the salted skin. 



Mr. Clark. It is impossible now, I should say. 



The Chairman. Would it have been possible then ? 



Mr. Clark. It would have been possible to weigh the individual 

 skins as they were put in the bundle. That is what I wanted to do 

 and that is what would have determined the matter. 



The Chairman. Did you request it ? 



Mi\ Clark. I did request it; yes. 



The Chairman. And it was refused ? 



Mr. Clark. It was refused; yes. 



The Chairman. You and Mr. Gallagher were sitting side by side? 



Mr. Clark. We were taking the record; yes. 



The Chairman. And comparing notes? Did you and he agree on 

 any of these facts ? 



Mr. Clark. We agreed as to the numbers, yes; as we took them 

 down. 



The Chairman. And the sizes ? 



Mr. Clark. We took all the numbers down and we checked them. 



The Chairman. Did you have any difficulty in determining about 

 the sizes ? 



Mr. Clark. That was determined by Mr. Elliott. All we could do 

 was to record the numbers that he called to us. 



The Chairman. Who was sitting next to Mr. Elliott, Gallagher or 

 you? 



Mr. Clark. Mr. Gallagher and I stood together at one point. Mr. 

 Whitney stood by us to give us the green skin weights, and Mr. Elliott 

 and Mr. Ilatton stood at the Salter's table where these skins were be- 

 ing treated. 



The Chairman. Did you suggest that the weights ought to be taken 

 as you have suggested 3 



Mr. Clark. I certainly did. 



