The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-16
THE FUR SEAL MONOPOLY.
ILLEGAL LEISE or THE ALASKA
FISHERIES 10 A RING.
The Snap Action Of the Treasury Department
Preventing Composition In the Biddina-A
Proposal by Gen. Ibris that was Ignored.

The Snap Action OF the Treasury Department
Preventing Composition In the Biddina-A
Proposal by Gen. Ibris that was Ignored.
WASHINGTON. March 15.--Gen. Geo. p.
Ihrie, late Paymaster of the army. was to-day
before the Committee Of Ways and Means, in
obedience to their subpoena to testify In regard
to tho Alaska fur seal monopoly. His nrst OBJ
jectve point was the illegsIity Of Hutchinson,
Kohl & Co.'S bid, which the Treasury Depart
ment should not have entertained second, the
bid itself being Illegal the award Of the lease OF
the Islands under that bid should be null and
void; third, that sum icient time was not allowed
fur merchants. traders, and other citizens In
California, Oregon, aud particularly Alaska, to
mako bids for the lease, the proposals being In
vited on the 9Th aud opened on the 10th OF July.
thus giving but twelve days to hear from the
Pacific coost, which shut out all communica-
ton, except by expensive telegraphlnR, and
barred out Alaska entirely. This snap action
OF the Treasury Department he accounted for
1t seems that Gen. Geo. ". Thomas. when
commanding the Pacific coast, visited the fur
sea, ISLANDS, Investigated the fur seal business,
and n his ofiiciai report recommended that the
Islands should be sold. Con. Ihrie, who
then an army paymaster stationed In Alaska,
consultation with some OF the fur merchants
and traders In Alaska, he made, In January, 1870,
proposition to the Secretary OF the Treasury
to lease tho islands for twenty-oieht years, AZ
tSO,OOO ooin per annum, to give acceptable sure
ties, Hud III the proposition was accepted to re-
sign his commission as paymaster. This propo-
sition was based on killing one hundred thou
sand seals per annum, and paying $3.50 coin tax
for each skin Two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars coin s equal to at least fS0,OO0 currency.
Add to this tho annual rental OF the islands. re-
quired by the law Of July !, 1870 which is $4,000
per annum, and G. en- Ihrie's pro- position am cunts
to tSDOOO currency per annum for the lease Of
the lslands, which Ia t1T5O0 more than Gold
stems bid, which WAS the highest.
This proposition was not a bid under the ad-
yertisoment OF July 4, 1870, but was on fls In the
Treasury Department four months before that
time, and showed what competent parties In
Alaska were willing to offer had they been duly
notified OF the invitation for proposals IN time
to reply to the same. But the Treasury Depart
ment seems to have carefully avoided this by
giving hut twelve days from date Of advertise-
ment for bids to the date OF opening the same.
This manifest partiality and favortism has pro-
duced a profound impression on the com
mittco. Goldstones bid was t9l2,5Oo per
annum. omitting the seal oil at Nifty
five cents gallon, which his bid did
not make obligatory on his company The
Rings bid was $4,000 per annum, or as much as
the highest bidder. Ihre's proposition, SIX
months before proposals were invited by the
Treasury Department, was t3}00O0 per annum
The lease was awarded by Judge Richardson to
the Ring at Goldstones figures, and Ihrie was
given no chance to offer bis figures under the
Treasury Invitation Of July 8, 1870, because IL
was impossible for the advertisement could
per annum to tho Alaska Commercial Company
on their illegal lease is now about S7OOOOO per
annum FROM St Paul and st. George Islands