804 INVESTIGATION" OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Elliott. Then there is another thing about that Funsten sale. 

 There is no classification of them. 



Mr. Stephens. Another question would be whether they were 

 skinned under the same circumstances and by the same men ? 



Kr. Elliott. Oh, yes; the same natives. 



Mr. Patton. Well, these were brought in and sold in December ? 



Mr. Stephens. The same skins ? 



Mr. Patton. Yes. 



Mr. Elliott. No; not these 400 skins. 



Mr. Patton. I am not saying anything about the 400 skins. I am 

 talking about the balance of the skins. If the department has said 

 that the 400 skins should not be touched, I do not suppose they have 

 been? 



Mr. Elliott. There were no skins taken in 1913 up to July 29, 

 except these 400 that I know of. 



Mr. Patton. That is all that were taken for food and anything else ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; as far as I knew up to my departure from 

 St. Paul July 29, last. 



Mr. Patton. And then these other skins were taken for food. That 

 is the only sale we have had. 



Mr. Elliott. Yes. 



Mr. Patton. I do not suppose they touched the 400 ? 



Mr. Elliott. No; they have not. 



The Chairman. I have their assurance that they would not touch 

 them at all. That was the object of my inquiry. 



Mr. Patton. This has reference to what they sold; the 1912 kill 

 is what the} T sold. 



Mr. Elliott. Yes, those food skins were taken in October and 

 November, 1912. "We have taken some since, during last October 

 and November, but they have not got down and will not until next 

 August . 



Mr. Pattox. They have not been sold ? 



Mr. Elliott. No. 



(Thereupon, at 1 1.45 a. m., the committee adjourned until Tuesday, 

 March 17, 1914, at 10 o'clock a. m.) 



Committee on Expexditures in 



the departmext of commerce, 



House of Represextatives, 



Washington, D. C, March 17, 1914- 

 The committee met at 10 o'clock, a. m., Hon. John H. Rothermel 

 (chairman) presiding. 



There were also present Mr. Stephens, Mr. Bruckner, and Mr. 

 McGuire. 



Mr. McGuire. I have been requested by the chairman of the com- 

 mittee to furnish a copy of the telegram which I sent to Funsten 

 Bros. & Co., at St. Louis, and I have here a carbon copy of the 

 telegram. 



Washington, D. C, March 13, 1914- 

 Funsten Bros. & Co., St. Louis, Mo.: 



Will you kindly wire me, collect, for official use the condition of Alaska sealskins 

 sold by you last December — condition of skins with respect to whether they were 

 properly skinned, blubbered, salted, and bundled for shipment? Wire Bird McGuire, 

 House of Representatives, Washington. 



Bird McGuire. 



