The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-16
FACTS ABoUr rELAGTC SEALING.
1nformation That the Behriug Sea CoH1is-
sioners Neglected to Obtain.

FACTS ABoUr PELAGIC SEALING.
Infornation That the Bshr,rr Sea Con.,s-
sioners Neglected to Obtain.
Ban Francisco. April 15.-Maior Williams. an
agent OF the Treasury Department. recently
camo to San Francisco on confidential mis-
sion. the nature of which has been the subject
OF much speculation. Mr.. Williams has not
mndo his business public. but being in search
OF information. he could not conceal his pur-
pose from the persons to whom he had to
apply. and It is now known that he was sent
out here in hurry to do the work that ought
TO have been done by the American Commits
sion that went to Alaska to investigate tho
seal fisheries. The American Commissioners
went up to Alaska in great style. strutted
around. looked wise. and knew less
about rcagic sealing when they came homo
than they knew when ftcy started The Brit.
ish Commissioners attended strictly to bus.
mess. and went homo loaded with fucts.
When the Governments OF the United states
and Great britain began tho recent negotia.
tons the former found itself unable to discuss
the sealing question intelligently because the
report of the Commission contained no infor-
nation that could lie relied upon. while the
British Government was loaded to the muzzle
with facts and figures. The authorities in
Washington didn't discover the weakness OF
their case until last month. when 1t was too
late to get another report from Alaska. but
they sent Agent Williams out In haste to re.
pair the blunder as best lie could.
When the agent arrived here and talked OF
going to Alaska. he was informed that the trip
would DO useless. because all the hunters and
other persons possessing tho required infor-
nation were afloat in Behring Sea or the North
Pacific. and he would find nobody ashore to
uiyp him inflammation Tho onlv THING RI.
naming to be done was to secure aflldavits
from persons in San FRANCISCO who are
familiar with the subject. and Agent Williams
promptly began to hustle for facts. And that
is how the nature OF his mission came to be
known.
The agent has been very diigont. and has
secured many af1ldavits. and undoubtedly his
report will contain most Of the information
that tho Commission didn't get
Probably the most complete and valuable re-
port on pelagic scaling was obtained in tho
form Of an affidavit from Theodore I. Will
liams. a journalist Of San Francisco. who went
to Alaska and the Aleutian Islands in 1889.
and made compile and exhaustive examina-
ton into the open-sea sealing for the Alaska
Company held lease ofthe PriDylov Isiands.and
data. q illicit scaling. which the company
needed as a basis for estimates in bidding for
was necessary for them to have the most accu-
rate Information relating to the probable DE- a.,
size Of the illicit catch in years to come. The
Investigation was most thorough and careful.
hs qvt in The OF Agent
In no case did accept secondary testi-
mony where primary testimony was available.
vessels In former years. did not rest at an in
yestigntien OF tho Custom House reports Mt
to the ana Of
went to the books and accounts Of the ,pur-
chRscrS of the skins. and gain compared their
reports with the reports Of auction sales in
London and privato sales. In attempts
killed in the Behring Sea and the NSTth
Pacific and the. tho number OF seals killed led
snpss w 1y e o
fifty white hunters. aside from interviews SUBJ
ssegGuently had with Indian hunters Much
haHtsis We're Oath to ' tell how many Seals wsre
sex Of animal Killed but By freauentine their
o ene a Pso sStasns sS in ssRS
sSs iSs%S
cess in securing the skins Of seals shot at I
5hes sess they
fired At. but on examination Of the accounts Of
peyed hse ten rounds
Of ammunition had been used for every skin
that tho vessel brought home. =,
Behrine. sea and North Pacific, and the In:
designations made subsequently. discovered
Behring Sea. are females that for every three
sleeping seals killed or wounded In the water.
seals Hifled only one is reeovsred tbass5 per
pup or or have ty left their newly born pups
ont 70 sea in search Of food. III the mother is
Killed; tho pup on shore will inevitably die
where the female seals are, feeding. and sell
dom attempt to Intercept the males on their
OF e@ps indn
use only the spear ard never attempt to kill
satenss shaw s sa ali es es of s4e
the North Pacific Ocean as well as in the
The reports Of men who handled the North
Paeiiic collection up to and including the year
s all y ri in 9a! % skins
be no question that the seals are not protected
and this tremendous slaughter that is, now
h herd in very very short tme o' Inc
os M 1sR Rs S sRs
Comm ercial Company. containing a record Of
az hs Rstas ess wss s
sold. the number OF vessels employed In seal
ing ana their value. outfit advances and trip
Behring sea skins handled in British Columbia
were taken In 1881 by an American schooner.
and the British Columbian seal industry In the
l.ehring Sea began in 1894. In 1885 some OF
the vessels. owned one half by Americans. were
put under the British flag In defiance Of the
Merchant Shipping Act Mr.. Williams says In
his report:
There are twenty -four Canadian schooners
engaged in sealing In the Behring Sea: total
tonnage, 4t4 tons: total value. INCLUDING out
fits. $l73.3lO: whites employed. 2Gl: Indians
employed. 3S5. or these twenty four schoonors
sailing under the British flag five are owned
half by Americans. These five schooners ille-
gally under the British flag are worth $500,
lsayinE an actual Canadian inyestmept Of
actually invested in the, Behring Sea sealing
Tor these REASONS: All the sehooners are
hunting, and fishing down the west coast and
in the North Pacific II the sealing business
not depreciate. a dollar In value. The sealing
business reauiIss no special plant, weapons.
SchOOnerS, the bORt8 common bORts. and the