INVESTIGATION OF THE FUE-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA.. 843 



"December 1. — The Campfire Club sent out to the leading newspapers of the 

 United States a circular letter stating its belief that the time had arrived for 'some 

 independent citizens to step into the arena in behalf of the fur-seal industry and 

 virtually compel the action that this Government should have taken two or three 

 years ago/ With this circular letter to editors was sent a news article entitled 'Loss 

 of the fur-seal industry. Former source of revenue now an annual loss. Will Amer- 

 ican people preserve their own property?' This article was published in about 25 

 newspapers on or about December 10, 1909. 



"December 7. — Senator Joseph M. Dixon, chairman of the Senate Committee on the 

 Conservation of National Resources, introduced Senate resolution No. 90, under the 

 title 'In regard to the Preservation of the Fur-seal Herd.' An attempt was made to 

 secure a reference of the resolution to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 

 which was defeated by Senator Dixon's motion to lay the resolution on the table in 

 the Senate. 



"January 15, 1910. — The Campfire Club of America, by the chairman of its com- 

 mittee on game-protective legislation and preserves, addressed a letter to the President 

 of the United States setting forth the deplorable features of the fur-seal situation, 

 giving a brief resume of the subject at that date, and closing with the following words: 

 'In conclusion, we entreat you to place the fur seal on your list of emergency measures 

 and call upon Congress to pronounce for no new killing lease, a 10-y ears' close season, 

 and the independent treaties that are necessary with England and Canada, Japan, 

 Russia, and Mexico. ' 



January 20. — The Campfire Club of America addressed to Hon. Charles Nagel, 

 Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Labor, an urgent letter, signed by 

 Ernest Thompson Seton, president, and 13 members of the committee on game-pro- 

 tective legislation and preserves, urging him to cooperate in securing the three objects 

 declared for in Senate resolution No. 90, and in the President's club letter namely, 

 'No new killing lease, a 10-year close season, and treaties for the suppression of pelagic 

 sealing.' 



''February 1.5. — The Campfire Club's resolution, introduced by Senator Dixon 

 December 7, 1909, and laid upon the table, was taken from the table and referred to 

 the Senate Committee on the Conservation of National Resources. 



"February 24- — Having received positive information to the effect that the Depart- 

 ment of Commerce and Labor was on the point of advertising for bids for the aAvarding 

 of a new lease for the killing of seals on the Pribilof Islands for the next 20 years, the 

 Campfire Club directed Chairman Hornaday to go at once to Washington and ask for 

 a hearing before the Senate Committee on the Conservation of National Resources. 



"February 25. — Mr. Hornaday appeared in Washington. An emergency call had 

 already been sent out by Senator Dixon for a meeting of his committee on the follow- 

 ing day. 



"February 26.— The Campfire Club's representative appeared before the Senate 

 Committee on the Conservation of National Resources. 



"Present: Senators Dixon (chairman), Dillingham, Dolliver, Bankhead, Jones, 

 Heyburn, Clark of Wyoming, Dick, Newlands, Overman, and Smith of South Carolina. 



"The report of this hearing appears as Senate Document No. 605, published on 

 June 1, 1910, with maps and illustrations. Mr. Hornaday presented facts and figures 

 and contended for the three measures asked at the hands of Congress in Senate resolu- 

 tion No. 90, with special urgency for action by the committee against a new lease. 



"February 26. — The Senate Committee on the Conservation of National Resources 

 at the close of the hearing adopted a resolution directing the chairman to represent 

 to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor the inadvisability of executing a new lease 

 for the killing of seals on the Pribilof Islands under the old contract system. The 

 chairman was requested to confer with Secretary Nagel on this whole subject." 



Senator Dixon, acting under this instruction of his committee, as above attested, 

 called promptly on Secretary Nagel, and found that official busy with the preparation 

 of the new sealing advertisement for "proposals" from bidders, etc. 



Of course the Secretary did not go further. It is unnecessary to tell the House 

 why. after such an order came to him from the Senate. He made as his excuse to 

 Dixon the claim that he law was "mandatory," etc. "Then, why do you oppose 

 my resolution repealing it?" asked Dixon. The result was that he, at Dixon's sug- 

 gestion, prepared a draft of a bill to order such a repeal, which Dixon introduced as 

 Senate bill 7242, on March 16, 1910, immediately after the President had sent a special 

 message covering it to Congress on March 15, 1910. (Hearing No. 5, p. 235, July 13, 

 1911, H. Com. Exp. Dept. Commerce and Labor.) 



