Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-15
MILLIONS IN SEALS.
what the Alaska Commercial Company
Makes and What the United
states Loses.
Herald

The account recently published in the
Herald form its San Francisco eorresponu-
ent Of the connection between the Behr1ng
Sea difficulty and the Alaska Commercial
Company has attracted general public At
tention. A new light has been thrown
upon the procedure Of the Government IN
regard 10 the seal fishery. and curiosity
baa naturally been awakened with regard
% the relations 20 the United States Gov
eminent Of This wealthy and powerful or
gani2atiOn. ~.
Alaska presents the anomalous condition
Of being o Territory of the United States
without q territorial government, having
no laws except Treasury regulations, no
political subdivisions, but customs dis-
trict. with collector and fhe necessary
subordinate officials. Purchased by the
United States Government in 1861 for
- 80 900. il has apparently been run
nearly ever since mainly IN the IN
serest Of the Alaska Commercial Company
whose contract for twenty years began III
Nav, 1870, and Will expire by limitation IN
Nav next THIS contract was by special
act Of Congress, and authorizes the Com
merci Il Company 20 kill seals IN the Alaska
waters % the number of 100000 nnnuallv'
the bachelor" or young male seals. being
the ONLY ones permitted TO be slaughtered,
though there Is little doubt that this pro-
vision in the contract has by no means
been held as binding 10y the seal-hshers;
For this senl-killing franchise the United
States Government receives from the
Alaska Commercial Company the sum Oh
$4,000 per annum. an amount 80 rldlcus
lousy disprOpOrtiOued 10 the real value ot
the franchise that it Is not 70 be wondered
at either that the company has grown rlch
and powerful, or that II is anxious TO pro-
cure an extension Of the contract Tor au-
other term of twenty years or less. as the
HrCbfs San Francisco correspondent has
shown to be the case.
VALUE OF THE SEAL INDUSTRY.
While the returns of the Commercial
COMPANY are not Immediately accessible
for the period covered by the latter half OF
the term Of their contract, the Official
figures for the first ten years, or from 1870
to 1880. can be given, end as there IS q
practical limitation on the number OF seals
killed and theprice of the fur in the mar
kcts does not greatly very, the statistics OF
the industry for the full term can easily
be calculated. In fact, these statistics
are given for thirteen years. or from 1867
10 1880. and show that during that period
the number Of fur seals killed was LII
3]3. or about the stipulated hundred thou
sand skins per aunum. These SKINS, NJ
the market value in London. Sl5 per skin,
amounted to $40. 159 995. II may therefore
be figured that for the full twenty years
term the Alaska Commercial Company Will
have received for the sealskins taken the
sum Of 30000,00D.
Now. besides the $4,000 annually paid
for tho seal franchise the United States
Government receives from the company
revenue-tax Of y for every skin shipped
abroad, and also coz cents for each
skin and 81 cents tor each gallon
Of oil. The company pays besides 40
cents - the natives whom they employ
i'm killing for every seal killed. For the
twenty years. therefore. the United States
would receive in gross tho sum of S3,4lO.-
900. or little more than 10 per cent. Of the
gross Yield. Meanwhile the cost per an
mum 10 tho company of taking the skins,
added 10 the incidental expenses, would
come 20 about ~ 500 900 for the entire pc
Rod Of twenty ycars, leaving the company
with a net profit per annum of S2.5OOOOQ
10 set against the United States annual
revenue from the seal fishery of $4,000.
SEAT OF THE INDUSTRY.
The breeding grounds of the Alaska fur
seal include the seal islands Of 81. Paul
and St. George. the Alutian islands. and
that portion Of Alaska west and north OF
Kadiak. Here, in the rOckeries," as
they are called, the seals swarm
from May TO December 10 the num-
Der of about sly millions every year,
of which at least one third are new
born. 1t has been found that the killing
of 100000 a year Of the bachelor" seals
makes no apparent impression upon the
whole mass. and it can thus be seen what
fertile source of revenue the industry
might be made under judcious govern
mental supervision.
But II il not Only in the fur seal that the
vast wealth Of Alaska in furs alone is TO be
seen. The following list of other furs pur-
chased from the natives by American
traders in ten years will doubtless open the
oyes OF many to the riches OF our North
vrpst Territory.