668 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. McGuire. What did Mr. Elliott have them weighed for ? 



Mr. Gallagher. I do not know that he told me specifically what 

 his purpose was, but I had an idea when I went down there it was 

 with the intention of taking those weights to see whether the salt 

 added to the weight of the green skin or not. 



Mr. McGuire. And you think you made a thoroughly accurate 

 test, do you ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. You would not regard a few hands full of salt 

 thrown on the skins as a very material matter in the weights when 

 the skins were weighed together and on different scales? You 

 would not regard that as very material in determining the accurate 

 weight, would you ? 



Mr. Gallagher. As I understood the purpose of that test, it was 

 to find out the difference between the weights of green skins and the 

 weights of the skins as bundled and ready to leave the islands, and 

 for that purpose, I think, that was a very fair test. 



Mi\ McGuire. Oh, I see. Your idea was, then, to find out the 

 difference between the weight of the green skins and the skins taken 

 from the salt, bundled and ready to leave the island? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. Regardless of the quantity of salt upon the skins at 

 the last weighing? 



Mr. Gallagher. That is what was to be determined, as I under- 

 stood it. 



Mr. McGuire. I see. But you did make a notation of the differ- 

 ence in the weights of the green skins and salted skins, as you weighed 

 them ( 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGuire. And you have that notation in Mr. Elliott's report ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Yes. sir. 



Mr. McGuire. You had never seen any sealskins before? 



Mr. Gallagher. Not that I know of; no. sir. 



Mr. McGuntE. You have no idea, as an expert, as to whether there 

 was a reasonable and proper amount of blubber on those skins? 



Mi 1 . Gallagher. I have no expert knowledge in regard to skins 

 at all. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you know how many skins were taken in 1913 ? 



Mr. Gallagher. Only in a most general way. 



Mi\ McGuire. Wei!, have you any judgment as to whether they 

 took all the skins that would have been available, coming within the 

 requirements as to size and weight 3 



All'. (iviLAGHER. I have no judgment at all in that matter. 



Mr. McGuire. You do not know whether thev should have taken 

 10,000 more or not? 



Mr. Gallagher. No. sir. 



Mr. McGuire. You do not know whether they were under the 

 nece<-uv of taking smaller skins in 1913 by reason of the limited 

 number of what you might term killable seals >. 



Mr. Gallagher. I do not know a thing about that feature. 



Mr. Watktns. When Mr. McGuire asked you in reference to 

 counting the pups I think you said you could not count them accu- 

 rately under the conditions as they existed there. Was that your 

 statement \ 



