802 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Patton. The contention of Mr. Elliott has been all along that 

 all the skins have blubbered too heavily. 



Mr. Elliott. No; I have not said that. I said "only the little 

 skins/' or the "small pups." 



Mr. Stephens. Well, the notes will show. 



Mr. Elliott. I want to answer that question. 



The Chairman. One moment, Mr. Elliott; will you wait until he 

 gets through. 



Mr. Elliott. Well, I will wait. 



The Chairman. The reason I speak about that is this: I have sent 

 word to and conferred with the Secretary of Commerce and I have 

 been assured that those 400 skins will not be touched or opened by 

 anybody until the committee gets through, except by Government 

 officials, and I want to know if Funsten Bros. & Co. have done that. 

 Do you know that they did anything with those 400 skins ? 



Mr. Stephens. I would suggest that the chairman send a telegram. 



Mr. McGuire. In reply to the statement of the chair I will sa) T 

 that personally I know absolutely nothing about the 400 skins in 

 question. All I know is what I have learned here in the course of the 

 testimony of Mr. Elliott and perhaps other witnesses. I have ascer- 

 tained that Funsten Bros. & Co. had been secured by the Department 

 of Commerce to sell for the Government the skins taken on the 

 Pribilof Islands in 1913, and as a result of that information, yesterday, 

 March 13,1 sent a telegram making inquiry and received in reply the 

 telegram which I have just read. 



Mr. Stephens. Can you give us the language of the telegram you 

 sent them ? 



Mr. McGuire. No; not right now; but if you desire I can put it in 

 the record later, for the reason that I dictated it to my stenographer 

 and he has it in his shorthand, I think, and I wall get it. 



The Chairman. Now, I think you should ask them whether they 

 examined those 400 skins. That is what I would like to know, 

 because I know that they have positive instructions that nobody 

 should touch them except our own officials, and unless we ascertain 

 that fact we ought not to get those skins mixed up with the other 

 skins. 



Mi*. McGuire. Well, I secured in this telegram such information 

 as I called for without any reference to the 400 skins. If any person 

 wants further information with respect to the 400 skins for the benefit 

 of the committee I should think that it would be well for him to 

 make inquiry or to let the committee take such formal action as it 

 deems proper. I sent for this information for the reason that it had 

 been stated by Mr. Elliott that all skins on the islands taken for a 

 number of years, that is, the smaller skins 



Mi\ Elliott (interposing). That is right — the "small skins." 



Mr. McGuire (continuing). Carried too much blubber. 



Mr. Elliott. That is right. 



Mr. McGuire. And I wanted to ascertain what information the 

 company has in respect of that matter, and I have given it to the 

 committee fur the benefit of the committee. 



Mr. Elliott. Now, might I answer that statement '. 



The Chairman. The reason I ask is this: I want to know and will 

 know whether they have disobeyed the instructions from the depart- 

 ment or from the committee. 



