The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-02
PELAGIC SEALING.

IRE business OF pelaEic sealing which
provides profitable employment for large
/ number or residents o. the state q Wash
/ ingi0n. and mas also invested in Il a very
I considerable amount Of local capital, has
I been the target for more unreasonable
/ abuse. and las rad fewer defenders than
almost any legitimate industry in which
men and capital ever engaged The sea-
son Is closed. but we may now expect ae-
tive work In congress- on the subject.
Why tie business OF catching fish in
the open waters should be considered not
only a legitimate pursuit, but one to be
encouraged IN every possible manner. even
by the payment OF government bounties
II need be. while the parallel. but more
dangerous and physically laborious pur-
suit % hunting seal in the open water
should be classd as '.poaching'' and next
door to piracy. it is hard TO imagine.
The truth is that the whole agitation
over the question OF pelagic sealing was
systematically worked up in the interest
OF the lessees OF the Pribiiof islands. Nat
urally a monopoly or the sealing catch is
what they want, and the competition OF
the peIagic seaIers interferes with that
monopoly. The company is strong one,
its stockholders are close TO men promi-
nent IN government affairs. and by judi
clous system OF working up public SEN
timent they have created an artificial pub
lie feeling against a legitimate industry.
the livelihood OF as good a class OF men as
ever followed the sea
The distinction between the pelagic
sealers and the Iessees of the islands in
the manner OF making the catch il this:
The true sealer has small vessel. which
he outfits with a crew Of seamen and
hunters. and asking no favors from any
one, puts out into the open ocean 10 hunt
for game. The seal are hunted in their
native element. found and captured there.
Considered merely as a manly sport, Pc
lagic sealing is entitled 10 rank as high
az the pursuit OF any game in the world.
Hardship there is 10 suffer. toIisome labor
and imminent peril OF life. as the record
or every sealing season sadly discloses.
The iessees OF the Pribilof islands, on the
contrary. pursue purely slaughterhouse
-fANN-N~N'-
breeding grounds to which the seal anne
ally resort for breeding purposes. There,
In the breeding grounds OF the seal, the
butchers Of the fur company surround a
number Of the animals, comparatively
helpless on terra firna. club them TO
death and skin them.
Notwithstanding all that has been said
and written as to the destr7lctiveness Of
pelagic sealing, II IL an open question
whether the great herds have been seri-
ously depleted by all the assaults made
on them I'm the open waters of the ocean.
IL Is admitted that the herd is smaller
but II may well be questioned whether the
practice of permitting the fur company
TO slaughter all the young males of
certain age. which has been followed. has
not had more 20 do with lessenins. the
size OF the herd than anything else.
The whole principle Of the fur company's
monopoly is repugnant TO American ideas.
FAR play would prompt the opening of
the sealing. as any other fishery. TO all
citizens OF the country alike in the one,
waters OF the ocean alone. Protection of
the rookeries-the breeding grounds-is
right. But II should not be the mockerv
or protection which permits certain IA
vored individuals to use these hrae5i,e,
grounds az a slaughterhouse for the ami
mals. while attempting to close the whole
ocean 20 all other sealers