The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-02
THE NEW TREATY WITH ENGLAND.

The treaty which was signed on Monday
between the Secretary OF State aud the
British Minister at Washington is not pre-
cisely treaty of arbitration, though it is
called by that title and it names arbitrators,
two to represent this country. two 10 rep
resent Great Britain. and three. one from
France, one from Italy and one from
Sweden, to represent the interests OF CON-
merce generally. The important point on
which England and the United States had
not agreed were the conditions on which
sealing should be conducted in Boring Sea
so as not to eXterminate the fur seal. The
controversy has furnished one more proof
that the growth of commerce requires alb
stract propositions of public law TO be
guarded BY conditions. just as the abstract
right of every sailor to navigate the high
seas is conditioned By the rule that ne must
carry clearance papers and register, so
the abstract right of fishing for seal must
be limited by regulations which prevent the
fishing being conducted so as to destroy the
industry. III this case the new Board Of
Arbitration will have a precedent to guide
them. a few years ago there was consider
able danger that seals taken on the island
of Jan Mayen, near SpitZbergen, would be
eXterminated by the reckless practices Of
the seal-hunters. To prevent that mis-
fortune Great Britain and Norway nego-
tiated a treaty By which "elose season
was established, and rules were laid down
forbidding tie killing or exposure Of ami
mails whose skins possessed no commercial
value. By tacit consent the provisions of
that treaty was accepted by the Govern
ments of Germany and Denmark as binding
on their fishermen also.
The public are not well informed Of the
present condition of the rookeres on the
PTybiloff Islands; the evidence is cOntradic-
tory, and some OF il was evidently intended
for effect on tie fur market. But there
appears to be reason to fear that the seals
on those Islands are really diminishing in
number. The fur Of the seal is valuable
article of commerce; it is becoming every
year more valuable as an article of wearing
apparel; il is entitled to protection against
the greed of those who would destroy its
future production for the sake Of present
profit 1t is not probable that any law can
prevent the gradual extinction of the seal
family. The seal belongs to the prehistoric
era. II is survivor of those curious, I'M
eouth animals which flourished III the age
when many creatures were amphibious. and
the saurian was lord Of the universe. But
with proper regulations its existence may
be prolonged fer a long period-perhapS
until the skill of the slk-spnner has in
vented cloth which shall combine the soft
delicacy Of the sealskin with its practical
use as a covering for the body.
The old rules which were embodied in the
lease OF 1870 will probably be found safe
guide to follow. Under those rules it was
unlawful TO take seals except during the
summer months, and except on the islands
of St. Paul and st. George. Sealing In the
open sea was forbidden for the double rea-
son that the practice led to indiscriminate
slaughter, and that in his haste to secure a
fur seal the hunter often killed females and
pups, whose fur was without value. There
is a possibility that additional points may
be obtained from the terms of the concession
of the Russian Copper Islands. which are
now sublet to the Alaska Commercial Com
pany.
There should be no difference of opinion
among reasonable men over the adjustment
OF the matter. Everybody wants 10 have
the fur seal saved from the destruction
which has Overtaken it in the South Pacific.
And everybody wants the world to have as
large supply of sealskins as the increase
Of the breed will allow. The only persons
who are likely to entertain other views are
those who have made their living by Illicit
sealing on the high seas, and such people
are not likely to carry much weight with the
new Board Of Arbitration. The public in
tereSt must govern, even though the out
filter Of q sealing SchOoner-here or at Vic
toriG-may claim that restriction kills his
business.