INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 737 



On June 14, 1913, Mr. George A. Clark was instructed to capture, 

 kill, measure, and weigh a series of such "survivals of the branding 

 of 1912" as he might find in 1913, as yearlings, on the Pribilof hauling 

 grounds, as might be necessary to " obtain a mean or typical index to 

 the yearling seals male and female." (See letter of departmental 

 instructions, June 14, 1913, item " (5) Ages of the seals." 



Did Mr. Clark do so ? No. He not only did not make this record, 

 but he actually went under oath February 20-24, 1914, and swore to 

 the House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Com- 

 merce, that up to July 24, 1913, he had not seen a single one of the 

 branded seals of 1912 — not one — from July 10, when he first arrived 

 at the islands, till the date of July 24. 



"Was he telling this committee the truth ? If he was, then he has 

 not reported the truth to the Bureau of Fisheries under date of 

 August 24, 1913. 



We find in his manuscript report to the bureau that he describes on 

 page 65, under date of July 10, and the first day of his arrival on the 

 islands, the appearance that day to him, on the north rookery of St. 

 George Island, of one of the 1912 branded seals, which was a yearling 

 of his own identification. 



Did he make any attempt to secure it, measure and weigh it, and 

 establish by so doing "a mean or typical index to the yearling seal," 

 etc., as he was instructed to do? No. 



Next we find on page 68, under date of July 14, that he describes 

 the appearance of another one of his branded yearling seals (pup of 

 1912) on St. Pauls Island at Zapadnie; does he attempt to secure it, 

 to weigh, measure, and by so doing obey his instructions ? No. 



Next we find on July 18, page 76, that he has again noted the ap- 

 pearance of a yearling seal of his pup branding in 1912, on Garbotch 

 Rookery. Does he secure it? No. 



Next we find on page 79, July 20, that he has again seen a " branded 

 bachelor" at Zapadnie Rookery, St. Pauls Island; does he attempt to 

 secure it and record its weight, measurement, etc. ? No. 



Finally, on page 81} under date of July 24, he actually observes a 

 branded yearling on the Reef Rookery, which was one of the pups 

 that he had burned on the head here, in September, 1912, and he 

 captures it; he only makes a single measurement of its length from 

 tip of nose to root of tail (36 j inches), and lets it go! He has this to 

 say: "In the case of the five yearlings handled to-day all were males." 



Why did he make no measurements, record no weights of body, of 

 skin, etc., of these yearlings, all of them, as he was instructed to do 

 June 24, 1913? 



Why did he fail to do this ? He was more fully authorized in 1913 

 to take, kill, and measure and weigh those yearling seals than Elliott 

 was in 1872-73 to do so. Elliott had no such instructions. But 

 he took 25 or 30 yearling seals, nevertheless, killed, weighed, and 

 measured them, in 1872-73, between July 10-20, on St. Paul, and 

 July 24 on St. George; and his official record of those yearling weights 

 and measurements was duly published nearly 40 years ago (i. e. June, 

 1875) by the United States Treasury Department (see Condition of 

 Affairs in Alaska, etc., p. 150, 1875). Who has disputed them 

 sensibly, or who does to-day ? 



In 1913, Elliott records the same appearance of yearlings on the 

 Pribilof Islands during July that he has recorded way back in 1872- 



53490—14 47 



