The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-04
asst OF THE SEALS.
Nv 4 Few Thousand Remain
in Behring Sea.
.,.eR,cANs MUST STOP HUNTING
80. VIII Make Concessions to En-
siand in Order to stop the
Shameful Slaughter.

werrcfoN CITY, Dec. 3-lSpecial. r.
:. /. - 10 say that no seals will be caught
- p.riux Sea next season. Both the state
~ treasury departments are working
"a a 1 solution OF the seal problem, and
"a. immediate object in view is not so
-...b 10 secure an amicable arrangement
- England as to prevent the extermina-
-, a seas. Reports lately received show
A., the slaughter is worse than had been
..nposed. and that the wonder is how H.
~ skins we're brought down last season.
rasland's proposal to arbitrate would
,.ve been accepted readily. or at least
-onld not have been summary rejected.
~ il uroyided for cessation of sesi-kiiI
- but the measures proposed would have
.eruuied three or four years. and in less
sme than tina, the seals would have Joined
| 4. bufYalo. In all his diplomatic negotia-
sons With England Secretary Blaine
e been handicapped by re-
,orss. now believed to have been
ioeus. sent to the state department. When
sIs,ne called halt. England simply put
- finger in treasury department hole
"a drew out the report made in 1883 and
no showing that seals were twice. and in
nme localities ten times. as plentiful as
sbey we're nearly twenty years ago. Eng
I.nd ridicaled the idea of determination,
aid II vas sly Yankee trick. and referred
plsine TO his own government reports in
mnfutauon OF his own statements. The
. rorlish government took the best evidence
+ 4 eould find, and refused to believe the
I American representations of empty rock
ries and seal graveyards.
These reports of the vast increase of seals
pne from George 4. Tingle, for four years
| under Cleveland's administration, and now
nanaser of the North American CONNER
Ia Company. There is no doubt that
. ihese reports had great weight in renewing
I he lease on such liberal terms as $50. 900,
~ which Window was scored by the New
i York Eum, and ali persons interested in the
. hheries
On his return to Alaska Tingle, who
ulled him to task, said he would take
I @o0 skins and return by the middle of
1 July. How much he overestimated is not
known At this time WINDOW sent for
4 Professor Elliott. who had made two SIM
/ ir trips in 1872 and 1874. and dispatched
I him on . surveying tour, under q special
1 ct Of congress. Where he had previously
. zen millions, he found handful, and he
/ hurried back, after careful survey, to ac-
euain, the government of the work OF des-
i tuction going on for years unmolested.
pIott's report is held a profound secret,
bat viii be made public soon.
Agent God is also here to back him up in
he assertion that seal-driving must stop
INmpleiely tor reasonable length of time
dhe first intimation the government had
hni the seals were in danger was when
haries j. Gof, brother of General Nat
of, of Virginia, and successor to Jingle,
nade his first report. 1t was on
ne small sheet of paper, and merely
mated that careful search and survey
10 failed to reveal the millions OF seals ac-
U1nted for in Tingle's reports. In fact,
Aere we're no seals. They had been driven
eut OF the rookeries and killed. and would
3 extinct in short time. While at this
Rcn be had been told by the
eonpany's agent and others inter-
eted that there were plenty of seals,
Pat they we're temporarily on the Russian
hland, and that they would return to the
1shing grounds later. Golf waited, but no
eals came. He was timid in handing in
An report, for fear of being mistaken. but
n bis recommendation the catch for last
eason was reduced to that figure.
II open fishing is permitted. next season
POI more than 5000 or 1000 seals can be
pund. no matter how diligent the fishers.
lnd that ends the industry forever. Every
nsans is now being used by Blaine to
lins about arrangements with England to
prevent poaching, and the suggestion is
made that it send competent surveyors to
Alaska To satisfy themselves of Elliott's
sao COTS reports. AT any rate, Ameri-
ms will not be permitted to invade the
eal fisheries, and If the seals are to be ex-
animated the United States viii let Eng
md do the shameful work.