Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1894-12-21
SEALSKINS.
Shall the Seals BE Protected or Allowed
to Go After the Buffalo.

Shall the Seals BE Protected or Allowed
to Go After tho Buffalo.
1t is very evident that the editor of the
st. Paul Globe is not anxious to own a
sealssin coat, for this is the way in
which he disposes of the seal fishery
question under the caption of "Tbe
Passing Of the Seals:
In SOM ore Of the reports of the de-
partments submitted to congress-, some
officer gives vent to a wall over the dis
appearance of the seal, which, long before
the treaty with England can be put into
practical operation, will, he says, have
been destroyed by the poachers, who are
making a slaughter of them. The pres
ldent, in his message to congress, sub
mits the question Of providing for the
payment of nearly a half million of
dollars OF damages incurred by the own
ers OF seal vessels u~nlawfuily seized by
our revenue vessels stationed in Behring
sea-, guarding the fisheries. Then we
have the claim of the North American
seal company. or by whatever name is
called the corporation with which a con-
tract was made giving it the monopoly of
seal fisheries seven years ago. This con-
tract has not been carried out on the
part of the government; in fact, it's oper-
alton was suspended during the Har-
rlson administration, and that mpa
n0n nracar{c a ,1,,r, g. ---
dred thousand dollars for damages for
breaking the contract.
There has been derived from the fish
cries some revenue for the government,
but when these claims are paid and the
expense attending the surveillance of the
fishing g~round-the cost of maintaining
the cruisers in the ficld-ls computed
they Will have cost US more than we de-
rive from them. Even if the convention
with England is enforced it will involve
a large annual expense in maintaining
a naval force there to guard the islands
waters against the vigilant and in
dustrious poachers. The price of seal
is Sc high, the extent of the terri
an
tory to be guarded is so vast, and the
opportunities for successful poaching so
great that the preservation of the seals
in any great number becomes a matter
Of grave doubt.
The question then comes, What is the
use Of making further attempts to per-
the seal: Why not let them 90
As the buffalo of our plains has gone,
as the whales OF the ocean have
gone? What great need is there of an
'ffort tc preserve them? What public
utility is there in it? Who is benefited
~ it that governments should exert
themselves at the public expense to pre-
ierve them:
They are not now, have not been, and
will not he a source of revenue to the
They are of value only for
heir skins, and these when dressed and
into garments command such
lrIces tnat but a verv small propor-
ion Of the country can afford them. eli,
1atic conditions preclude the use Of
uch garments IN fully the southern half
I the nation, and economic conditions
their use by more than one out
t probably tea thousand of the pOpu-
northern section.
The WhOle effort, then, for the prr-ervg-
Of IT," reais is to provide wealthy
mel uud women, with q winter
armcnt whose main merit is that it ig
>perSlva aud fashionable; for in the
,atter Of clothing us well as Of dress.
here are fabrics more suitable for pro
oetiou from cold weather. We have in
ar eo-calied republican form of govern
rent many ilagrant instances Of the use
T the power Of that government to pro-
lote comfort and increase the wealth of
le already wealthy; but no use of il
lore completely illustrates the paternal-
tic features of Our government than
PES this legislation in regard to and
'eatment Of the seals. Tho government
the task of guarding and
reservlng seal life in order that the de-
re for expensive display of the wealthy
An be gratltied, and, secondly, that the
asire Of Il few for profit may be met:
all tins at the expense of the great,
'mmon people of the nation, who re-
from it no benefit whatever, and
no can zee in it only IA provision for
'oviding a badge for wealth. We con-
81 that we look upon the passing OF the
'als with complacency and without
greet.