542 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Clark. They had control. If the leasing company had under- 

 taken to violate the regulations or rules or do something wrong, I 

 imagine the Government agents would have prevented it. 



The Chairman. It seems to me, when you said they were in' 

 supreme authority, that they controlled the situation. 



Mr. Clark. Does not the majority control? That is nry idea, you 

 know. 



The Chairman. Did they take votes on this ? 



Mr. Clark. Of course, the difference between us is simply this: 

 You want to discover, if possible, a conflict between the agents 



The Chairman, (interposing). I do not want to discover anything; 

 I want to clear it up. 



Mr. Clark. I can do that, because there was no conflict between 

 them. The leasing company lived up to its contract, but there was 

 a declining herd and to get every skin they could was not doing the 

 herd any harm when a less and less number of males was needed 

 each year for the declining female herd; but if this was turned about 

 and the females began to increase and more males were necessary, 

 there was a danger then, and a majority might be used to carry 

 through plans which a leasing company might want to carry through, 

 and a majority in any case would be dangerous to the Government. 



The ( hairman. Did you call attention of the special agent of the 

 Government to the fact that the others had supreme authority and 

 control of this situation? 



Mr. Clark. That was an obvious fact, it seemed to me. I did not 

 do anything because there was nothing for me to do in that regard. 

 I made my report to the department and not to the agents. 



The Chairman. Did you report that to the department by wire or 

 otherwise when you discovered that the lessee company's agents were 

 in supreme authority, or did you wait until you filed your written 

 report ? 



Mr. Clark. I did not discover that in 1909. It was just as plain 

 to us in 1896 and 1897. 



The Chairman. That they were in supreme control ? 



Mr. Clark. That they were in the majority. 



Mr. McGuire. I never heard him say they were in supreme control. 



The Chairman. That they had supreme authority. 



Mr. McGuire. No. Here is what he said, that after they had 

 eliminated the number of males necessan r for the following year, 

 then it was turned over to them. 



The Chairman. You said it was apparent that the leasing com- 

 pany was in supreme control in your report of 1909. 



Mr. Clark. I stated it in just this way, that the breeding reserve, 

 which the department wanted to guarantee to its herd, having been 

 set aside — and it was four times too great, four times greater than 

 was necessary — then the company had the right, under this lease, to 

 take what skins it could up to 15,000. That is what I meant by being 

 in supreme authority. And I had in mind a future condition. With 

 the company having a school-teacher and a storekeeper and a doctor 

 and a foreman on the islands, there was a condition of majority on 

 their part which would be likely to endanger the herd if it became 

 desirable or if the leasing company should desire to do something 

 which conflicted with the interests of the herd. 



