742 INVESTIGATION OF THE EUR- SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Elliott. After there is this increase, when there is at least a 

 million pups, then the safe surplus 2 and 3 year elds would be 

 annually, some 60,000. 



Mr. Patton. He means the age of the seals to be taken. 



Mr. Elliott. I would take male seals at 2 and 3 years old. 



Mr. Patton. You say you would take 40,000 or 50,000 if there were 

 1,000,000 there, but if there were 500,000 do you mean to say you 

 should not take 20,000 ? 



Mr. Elliott. I do not think it would be a safe thing to do. 



Mr. Patton. Why not? 



Mr. Elliott. I will come to that. If you want me to go into that 

 I will explain exactly. I was coming to that. That is the commer- 

 cial side of it. 



George A. Clark, under oath, affirmed, February 20, 1914, that the 

 Government had lost $500,000 during the season of 1913 by not 

 killing 10,000 seals which would have averaged $50 a piece. 



How many skins did the Government get out of 12,920 which it 

 took in 1910, which averaged $50 a piece? 



Only 871 such skins, as the following exhibit of the prices obtained 

 declares, to wit: 



RECORD OF THE LONDON SALE, PRIBILOF FUR SEAL CATCH, 1910. 



The prices received at the London sale, December 16, 1910, for the 

 12,920 Fribilof skins, taken June and July, 1910, were for the whole 

 catch £83,227 2s. 3d., or $403,000 net, Average of $34.38 per skin. 



Four-year-olds, or "middlings," none taken. 



Short 4-year-olds, long 3-year-olds, or " middlings and smalls," none 

 taken. 



Skins, 78, 3-year-olds, or "smalls," brought 240s., or $60 per skin. 



Skins, 793, 2-year-olds, or "large pups, " brought 218s., or $54.40 per 

 skin. 



Skins, 3,775, short 2-year-olds and long yearlings, or "middling 

 pups," brought 164s. , or $41 per skin. 



Skins, 6,195, yearlings, or "small pups," brought 126s., or $31.50 

 per skin. 



Mr. McGuire. From what are you quoting? 



Mr. Elliott. The New York Fur Trade Review. 



Mr. McGuire. That is a quotation? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; and it is an analysis. 



Mr. Stephens. How did they classify those 6,195? 



Mr. Elliott. As" small pups." 1, 809 "short yearlings," or" extra- 

 small pups," 122s., or $30.50; 270not well classified; total, 12,920 skins. 



See page 60, Xew York Fur Trade Review, February 1, 1911. 



You see, there is only a dollar's difference between the "small pups" 

 and the " txtra-small pups." You are right down at the bottom, 

 now, down at the dregs, and the dregs bring $31 a skin while the 

 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds bring $60 and $54; but observe, gentle- 

 men, that of the good 3-year-olds and 2-year-olds there are only 871, 

 the dregs making up the balance. The average runs from $50 or 

 $55, as Mr. Clark says it would do, to less than $34 a skin. 



The Chairman. Let me ask you whether you have the prices of the 

 skins of small pups ami extra-small pups ( 



