The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-01

gress who can rise above the soriid motives OF
filthy lucre, and look into this seal question
ana the development Of Alaska, and OF our great
hsheries, they will see that the sum paid BY the
company for the lease of the Pribilot islands Is
not feathers weight in the scales OF Justice
when we compare this amount, great as il a.
with the vastly greater amount of good the
nation will derive by giving every encourage
ment to our fishermen 10 bring in the rich pro-
ducts OF the ocean, the whales, the seals
the fish, and to our miners and
others to open up and develop the
rich treasures OF Alaska All this Development
is retarded and paralyzsd by the action OF
the monopoiizing companies, just as the Hudson
Bay Company retarded the development Of
British Columbia aud ali that great region. clear
through to Hudson's bay and the Atlantic. In
stead OF emulating the example OF the British
parliament ana abrOgating powerful monopoly
We seem 10 have gone back 20 feudsl times and
granted rights and privileges 10 the moueyed
osrons which are denied 20 the people. Better
That every fur seal be exterminated than the
United States should enter into this uuhoy
alhance with monopoly 10 paraiyze our in
dustries and rob the people OF their inheritance.
On the North Atlantic ocean the hair seals
have been hunted for more than two centuries
and every year more vessels and larger ones are
engaged in this business. Yet the hair sea- is
not exterminated. The habits OF the fur seal
ana hair seal are analogous-both live on fish,
both are smphibious; but the commercial value
OF the fur seal is the greatest and while our
fishermen can kill ell the HAIR seals they wish,
the fur seal must be reserved Tor those who have
longer purses and can cajole congress by their
sophstries.
The fur seals never will be exterminated
They may and have been driven from their
rookerles, but they have found others, and If
they are being driven from the Pribilof islands,
As Is asserted, predict that when the wholesale
0utcherles STONED and thu srauph NJ
rottlng carcasses no longer pollutes the atmos-
pheTe OF St Pauls ana 81 Georges rookeries, the
seals will return 10 their old haunts as they
are now returning to their former rock
erles at Cape Horn and other places
in the South Pacific. In ali the preceding years
OF the history Of the sealing on the Pribolof
Islands, the captains OF the revenue cutters have
not been required TO make specific reports on
their observations of fur seals of the rookeries
and any voluntary statements they may have
made were either pigeon-ho or not considered
good form, hence we have no knowledge OF any
such reports. This season, however, the cap
tains have been required TO make reports on
their observations of fur seals and their habits
on OF the rookerles, and their testimony, added
TO the reports of the commissioners, will fur
nlsh much interesting information which has
hitherto been suppressed.
II the government will prohibit the killing of
fur seals on the Pribilof islands and In Beriug
age our fishermen as they are encouraged on the
Atlantic, the seals will not be driven of nor the
market overstocked, and better than all, en-
enlargement viii be given to the development
OF our fisheries by furnishing motive for
hshlng feet to congregate on Puget sound, and
by the products of their labors enrich our
state. If such a course is pursued one will hea-
no more of American vessels being driven I'M
der the British flag for protection from
the United States government, which should
protect them. Our government is very jealous
OF injuries and insults put upon our citizens by
foreign nations, but not word is said OF the IN
uries and losses our citizens have incurred by
our own government in sustaining and pro-
tectlng monopoly on the seal islands. IL is a
dlsgraceful partnership between the United
States and these monopolists which should be
dissolved. 1t is old adage that "when
thieves fall out honest men get their dues"
and hope that the present feud between the
two rival companies may bring congress to a
clear understanding of this matter, and our
fishermen allowed the same privileges and en-
couragement that they have in the North
Atlantic. JAMES G. SWAN.