Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-09
THE FUR SEAL.
Methods Of the Government
for their Protection.
PLUNDERING PoACHERs' WAYS.
The Revenue Derived from the Alaska
Commercial Company for the
Privileges Granted Them.

In previous issues the HERALD has
given some account of the history of fur
seal hunting in several parts of the
globe, and brief sketch Of the habits Of
the animals in their native haunts. The
trend of the history Of the taking of the
seals was to demonstrate how univer-
sally the animal had been extirpated
from the islands which he had FIRE.
quented when exposed to the indiscrim-
mate slaughter resulting from unre-
stricted competition on the part of the
hunters. The sketch of the habits OF the
seal proved that such must be the fate
Of the amphibious creature at all points
On the globe where he is not put under
some sort of rigid police surveillance.
The facts that there are only two impor-
tAnt breeding places of the seal remain
ing in all the W aters of the earth, and
that both of them are in Boring sea, the
greater of them in American waters and
the other in Russian, put the question
beyond dispute that only the two Gov
ernments here referred to are in posi-
ton to lend to the seal the necessary
protection to secure his existence.
There can be no question as to the
authenticity and correctness of the facts
given in these articles. They are all
gathered from report published by the
Government during the past spring. The
report was prepared with great care by
the Committee ON Merchant Marine
and Fisheries" Of the Fiftieth Congress.
Hon. Poindexter Dunn, then q member
Of the House from Arkansas, was Chair
man Of the committee, and it was COM
posed of such men a. Hon. Charles N.
FELTON,, of California. Colonel Dunn is
II this moment resident of Los Ange-
Les, and . member of the bar of this
county. The report is full and we'll d.
gosted, evidencing q great degree of care
in it's preparation.
HOW THE SEALS ARE PROTECTED.
It is the aim of the present paper to
show briefly the methods pursued by our
Government in the protection of the
real, the means used for their destruction
by the poachers, and the revenue paid
the Government by the Alaska CONNER
cial company in lieu of the privileges
conferred on it. When the United
States became seized of the
Territory of Alaska through its purchase
from Russia in 1867, it found the Govern
ment from whom its title was derived had
exercised a very jealous care over the
eeals in Boring sea. Inquiry into the
matter convinced the United States
authorities that such care was not only q
thing Of National advantage, but one of
universal importance to the human race.
But our Government was not, as those
in authority looked at the matter, in q
position to take this matter up directly,
for the reason that it was all 80 novel,
30 technical, and requiring very large ex-
matter. Acting on this policy it was
determined to put proper restrictions
ON tho killing of the seals, and to farm
number of the animals to some respon-
was that in 1870. on May LIST.
secured lease Of the seal
islands for q period of twenty years:
This company was the successor of
cisco, a firm which had been engaged for
some years in the Boring sea and Arctic
ocean trade. These people had become
familiar with the seal-skin business, and
were, therefore, prepared to make the
United States the highest bid for the
privileges offered. The terms of the
contract between the two parties are that
the United States guarantees the lessee
the exclusive right of taking fur seals in
the Pribylov islands, st. George and st.
Paul, for the period of twenty years.
The lessee is permitted to kill 100 600
seals per annum and no more, and is pro-
hibited from killing any female seal or
any seal Of q less ege than one year, and
from killing any seal at any time other
than the months of June, July, Septem-
Der and October, and further from
killing the seals by the use
Of firearms or any other means
tending to drive the animals from
the islands, and lastly from killing any
seal in the water, or on the beaches,
cliffs or rocks where the animals are &C.
customed to haul up from the sea. The
lessee for these privileges agreed to pay
the United States q rental of $55, 900 q
year, and tax of 49, 62& per skin; to
furnish the inhabitants of the islands,
free Of charge, 1900 dried salmon annu.
ally. 60 cords Of frewood, sufficient salt,
sufficient number of barrels to pre-
serve seal meat for their use, and to
maintain school for native children on
the islands at least eight months in the
year. Besides the revenues referred to
above, the Government receives large
amount of income on the transportation
of dressed seal skins, after being cured
in London, where most of that work lie
done. The 20years period of the lease
is now nearly up, and in that time
the Government has received nearly
Sc, 000, 900, most of which has come
from the Alaska Commercial Company.
The cost of Alaska to the Government,
~ is we'll known, was $500, 900, ST.
500 600 less than the revenue derived
from the seal fisheries in the twenty
years.
It is objected, of course, that the
Alaska Commercial Company is q mo.
nopoly, and that indeed it is. But if all
the monopolies founded and fostered by
the inherent policy of the Republican
party were as productive of as much
good and as little harm as this one, the
popular objection to monopolies would
not be 80 general nor so deep rooted.
Indeed, without becoming in the least
An apologist for this policy inherent in
the Republican party of granting so
many special privileges, one may safely
say that it is not probable that
the object in view could have been so
we'll reached, and the Government 80
much benefited in any other way than