INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 817 



Mr. McGuire. Maybe I misunderstood you. I thought you said 

 you had seen him since. 



Mr. Elliott. Not to talk with him; not to have any personal con- 

 versation with him. I recollect afterwards seeing him at intervals 

 about the lobbies of the Capitol. That is the same bunch of letters 

 that Mr. Redfield had over in the Senate Committee on Fisheries 

 April 26, 1913. He said they were a lot of rubbish. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you know why he took them there ? 



Mr. Elliott. I met him there in an executive session of the Sen- 

 ate Fisheries Committee. He had those letters there, and after about 

 10 minutes spent over them, as you do here, he said they were rub- 

 bish, and he dropped them. 



Mr. McGuire. And you were there ? 



Mr. Elliott. I was there, invited by the chairman, Senator Thorn- 

 ton, opposing the nomination of Mr. Smith. I met Mr. Smith face 

 to face then and there in a four-hours' executive session with the 

 Senators and Mr. Redfield. I gave them my objections to Mr. Smith, 

 and did so plainly. 



Mr. McGuire. Did you know that these letters were not delivered 

 to the Department of Commerce until within the last two weeks, 

 when I asked for them, and he sent over to the committee for them ? 



Mr. Elliott. That is the same bunch that Mr. Redfield had at 

 the meeting on April 26, last year. 



Mr. McGuire. Do you know when they were obtained from the 

 committee ? 



Mr. Elliott. No; never until this moment have I known where 

 they were, or thought about it. 



Mr. McGuire. Were you opposed to the appointment of the 

 present Fish Commissioner ? 



Mr. Elliott. I was and I am now. I do not believe he is the 

 proper man. 



Mr. McGuire. Secretary Redfield had these letters before the 

 committee ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; as part of his proposition for Mr. Smith; but 

 he withdrew them, all right. 



Mr. McGuire. Did you make any objection to the Senate com- 

 mittee to Mr. Smith's confirmation after Mr. Redfield got hold of 

 these letters? 



Mr. Elliott. How could I ? I agreed to his confirmation in this 

 executive session. 



Mr. McGuire. You did not agree to stop your fight on Mr. Smith 

 until Secretary Redfield got hold of these letters and filed them with 

 the committee? 



Mr. Elliott. He did not "file" them. He said they were rub- 

 bish; he withdrew them, I say, and then took up a better fine of 

 defense for Smith. 



Mr. McGuire. How did he withdraw them unless he had first 

 filed them? 



Mr. Elliott. I understand that he withdrew them without filing 

 them. He took them before the committee and then did not file 

 them. 



Mr. McGuire. Then there was nothing to withdraw ? 



Mr. Elliott. No, sir; he regarded them as rubbish and did not 

 press them. 



53490—14 52 



