INVESTIGATION OF THE FUK-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA 803 



Mr. McGuire. That is purely a matter for the department and 

 not for me. If the department has secured incompetent officials 

 to look out for its business, that is not my fault. 



The Chairman. I do not mean it as a reflection on you. 



Mr. Elliott. Now, I will throw some light on that. 



Mr. McGuire. I am not asking you for information. 



The Chairman. You may explain about that telegram. 



Mr. Elliott. He complains, in truth, there that the skins are 

 too closely skinned; that they have not got a sufficient amount of 

 blubber on them; but he does not tell the committee that only the 

 large skins are so clean skinned; but that has been the rule right along, 

 to skin the big skins down fine and "clean," and "load up" the little 

 skins with blubber so that they will weigh the same. 



Mr. Patton. That is your supposition. 



Mr. Elliott. I have the example of the 400 skins to govern my 

 supposition. These 400 skins will support my statement; I know 

 the skins will speak for themselves. We might as well pass on from 

 that point. The skins will speak for themselves, and that is an end 

 of it. I have identified them, and the identification is complete. 

 It is certified to by the Department of Commerce and by this com- 

 mittee. 



Mr. McGuire. You say that Funsten Bros. & Co., who sent me 

 that telegram, mean that the large skins 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). Yes. 



Mr. McGuire (continuing) . Did not have enough blubber ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. You believe that? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, sir; that is what they meant. 



Mr. McGuire. In the rest of the telegram they state the other 

 skins have just enough blubber. You believe that also, do you not ? 



Mr. Elliott. I do not know anything about the rest of the tele- 

 gram. I am only speaking about the large skins, and that is their 

 complaint, and I say that is right. 



Mr. McGuire. They state that there is not enough blubber on any 

 of them. 



Mr. Elliott. I do not believe that. 



Air. McGuire. But you do believe that the large skins did not 

 have enough ? 



Mr. Elliott. I believe they had enough; I will say that. 



Mr. McGuire. You believe in one instance one way and in another 

 instance another way ? 



Mr. Elliott. I have given you my opinion. You have their 

 opinion. This dealer-has the right to his opinion as much as I have. 

 I have, however, abundant reasons for believing as I do, and abun- 

 dant proof of my statement. 



Mr. Stephens. I think I should call the attention of the committee 

 to the fact that the telegram speaks of the December shipment and no 

 other shipment. 



Mr. Patton. That is right. 



Mr. Stephens. As I understand it, all this controversy was last 

 summer ? 



Mr. Elliott. We have those skins all right; they have not been 

 disposed of. 



Mr. Patton. That is the first sale they had in the United States. 



