708 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



The Chairman. * * * I want the witness to state as an expert how many such 

 killings of seals there may have been, and what he considers has been the injury 

 done to the Government during the last 20 years. 



Mr. Elliott. Mr. Chairman, I will read the statement in detail: 



MEMORANDUM, FOR HON. JOHN H. ROTHERMEL, IN RE SEAL SKINS TAKEN BY LESSEES 



IN VIOLATION OF LAW. 



Minimum numbers of yearling seals taken in violation of law by the North American 

 Commercial Co., or lessees of the seal islands of Alaska, Figures taken from the sales 

 catalogues of Messrs. C. M. Lampson's Sons, London, during period of lease held by 

 the N. A. C. Co. aforesaid. 





Total 

 skins 

 taken. 



Year- 

 lings. 





Total 

 skins 

 taken. 



Year- 

 lings. 



1890 



20,310 

 13,473 

 7, 554 

 7,492 

 16,030 

 15,002 

 30,004 

 20, 762 

 18,032 

 16, 804 

 22,473 



3,823 

 i 1,200 

 C 1 ) 



(*) 



1,400 



2,200 



13,000 



s.nuii 

 4,000 

 3,500 

 9,500 



1901 



22,672 

 22,304 

 19, 374 

 13,128 

 14,368 

 14,478 

 14,888 

 14,965 

 14,350 



13, 000 



1891.. 



1902 



14,500 



1892 



1903 



15,600 



1893... 



1904 



6,500 



1894. 



1905... 



6,918 

 6,837 



1895 



1906 



1896... 



1907 



7,000 

 6,500 



1897.. 



1908... 



1898. . . 



1909... 



7,000 



1899 



Total 





1900 2 



343,413 



128, 478 







1 Modus vivendi. 2 Standard lowered this year for first time to "5 pound skins," or "yearlings." 



Henry W. Elliott. 



July 10, 1911. 



My figures as given in this statement are presented by me as the 

 "minimum" of yearlings so taken by the lessees during the period of 

 their lease, between 1890-1909. In this statement I include noth- 

 ing as "yearlings" except "small pups" and "extra small pups/' or 

 salted skins less than 34 inches in length, and as so returned by the 

 sales sheets of the London brokers, Lampson & Sons. I told the 

 committee, on pp. 905-906, hearing No. 14, 1912, that I had not in- 

 cluded any of the "long" yearlings or "middling pups" in this state- 

 ment, or 35-36^-inch skins, since they were invariably male seals, 

 and no killing of females occurred, when they were taken. 



I have specified the reason why yearlings can not be killed unless 

 in violation of law as follows, to the committee (see pp. 902, 905-906) 

 to wit: 



Mr. Elliott. My objection to the killing of yearlings is not becasue they are 1 year 

 old, but because you can not tell whether you are killing males or females when you 

 slaughter them. 



Mr. Madden. The 1-year-old? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; that is the reason I draw the line at no killing under 2 years. 

 If anything is intended to conserve that life we must save the female life, and you 

 can not do that when you kill the yearlings. 



Mr. Madden. I think the testimony shows that. 



******* 



Mr. Madden. Let me ask you a question. According to Mr. Lembkey's testimony 

 read by you, he testified that the length of a yearling would be 39£ inches, and when 

 it was skinned the skin itself would be 36£ inches. Does it always follow that a year- 

 ling seal measures just the same or within an inch or two of the same length? 



Mr. Elliott. I think the range is about 3 to 4 inches; a small yearling skin goes 30 

 inches, a good average yearling skin 34 inches, and a "long" yearling 36 inches. 

 There are three grades. 



Mr. Madden. All seals are not of the same size? 



Mr. Elliott. No; but there is the general average, and you can very easily keep 

 within the limit. 



