INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 639 



that might occur as the result of the stoppage of pelagic sealing as 

 ■well as the stoppage of land sealing and can speak now with more 

 knowledge and more exactness. 



The Chairman. I simply wanted you to verify this statement 

 which I have read. 



Mr. Patton. What number of seals do you think were there last 

 year ? 



Mr. Lembkey. On the Pribilof Islands ? 



Mr. Pattox. Of all kinds. 



Mr. Lembkey. I would not like to make any estimate because I 

 did not attempt to enumerate them. My service was exclusively 

 taken up with the direction of the material affairs of the islands and 

 the work of enumeration w T as done by Mr. Clark on the part of the 

 Department of Commerce and by Mr. Elliott and Mr. Gallagher on 

 the part of the committee. I am willing to accept Mr. Clark's 

 enumeration, however, as correct. 



Mr. Bruckner. How do the seals mate ? Do they mate the same 

 way every year ? In breeding, I mean. In other words is there but 

 one female ? 



Mr. Lembkey. Do the same bull and the same female come back 

 to the same spot each year ? 



Mr. Bruckxer. Yes. 



Mr. Lembkey. We believe that they do, but we have not been able 

 to observe enough of those marked in such a manner as to have them 

 recognized from year to year as to state that as a doctrine conclu- 

 sively, but we have found many bulls, for example, having some 

 peculiar mark or characteristic by which they could be recognized, 

 that returned to the same spot from year to year. 



Mr. Bruckxer. Do they associate with more than one female? 



Mr. Lembley. Yes, they have large families. The}' are highly 

 polygamous. 



Mr. Patton. There were about 65 to the male last year. 



The Chairman. By unanimous consent you will take a recess now 

 to meet to-morrow at 2 o'clock, p. m. 



(At 3.45 o'clock p. m. the committee took a recess to 2 p. m Thurs- 

 day, Feb. 26, 1914.) 



House of Represextatives, 

 Committee ox Expexditures ix the 



Departmext of Commerce, 



Wednesday, March 4, 191 If.. 

 The committee this day met, Hon. John H. Rothermel (chairman) 

 presiding. 



TESTIMONY OF ME. WALTER I. LEMBKEY— Continued. 



The Chairmax. Mr. Lembkey, it seems to me that at the close of 

 your testimony at the last hearing you stated that a herd of 4,500,000 

 would be worth about $90,000,000 to the Government, at $25 a skin. 



Mr. Lembkey. I made some such computation, yes. 



The Chairmax. How much do you think it would be worth to the 

 Government annually, in the way of earning capacity, if it were 

 properly handled ? 



