INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 815 



years, not a single seal would be added to the herd that will not be added if the present 

 policy of restricted killing of surplus males is continued. 



Do you agree with that statement ? 



Mr. Elliott. Whose statement is that ? 



Mr. McGuire. Do you want to wait until you know who makes it 

 before you state whether you agree with it or not ? 



Mr. Elliott. I want to know who is responsible for that statement. 



Mr. McGuire. I will state that the present head of the Fisheries 

 Bureau made that statement in the National Geographic Magazine, 

 December, 1911. 



The Chairman. You mean the present Fish Commissioner ? 



Mr. McGuire. Yes. Do you agree with that statement ? 



Mr. Elliott. No; I do not. 



Mr. McGuire. Now, then, Mr. Elliott, do you know Amos Allen ? 



Mr. Elliott. No; that is a great joke. 



Mr. McGuire. I am inclined to think so myself. 



Mr. Elliott. I first saw all those letters in Mr. Redfield's hands 

 April 26, 1913. He had them in his hands and crushed them up and 

 threw them — well, I won't say where, but he thought they were 

 rubbish. 



The Chairman. Now, you were asked whether you knew Mr. 

 Allen; what is your answer? 



Mr. Elliott. I will say no. 



Mr. McGuire. Did you ever have any conversation with him? 



Mr. Elliott. That is a man that was over there at the house — — 



Mr. McGuire (interposing) . Is that where you live ? 



Mr. Elliott. I had a room there. It was a rooming house — a lot 

 of men there, coming and going all the time. 



Mr. McGuire. Who kept that boarding house? 



Mr. Elliott. Mrs. McCork. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you know where she is now? 



Mr. Elliott. I do not know just now. They have torn the house 

 down, but you can find out in the directory. 



Mr. McGuire. I will ask you to look at this handwriting [handing 

 letter to Mr. Elliott]. Do you recognize that writing? 



Mr. Elliott. This is one of the letters Mr. Redfield showed me. 

 It is not mine. 



Mr. McGuire. It is not your handwriting ? 



Mr. Elliott. It is not. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you know whose it is ? 



Mr. Elliott. No; unless it is Allen's — as he signs it. 



The Chairman. Is it supposed that it is the witness's handwriting ? 



Mr. McGutre. How is that? 



The Chairman. Let me look at it. 



(Mr. McGuire hands paper to chairman.) 



Mr. Elliott. You ought to read some of those letters. 



Mr. McGuire. I have read them all. I will ask you, Mr. Elliott, 

 if you wrote a letter to Mr. Roy C. Andrews, Assistant Curator of 

 Mammals, Museum of Natural History of New York, Thursday, 

 December 19, 1912? 



Mr. Elliott. I have never written him but one letter, and I guess 

 he will never forget it. If you will read the letter, I can tell you. 



Mr. McGuire. You did write him, then? 



