The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-19
KILL OFF THE SEALS.
Sheldon Jackson's Remedy for
Bering Sea Trouble.
SOURCE OF NEEDLESS EXPENSE.
He Saws the Canadians Are Stealing
Them All Anyhow and Protection
Costs 81 COO. 900 Year.

Sheldon Jackson. United states gen
eraI agent of education In Alaska. WHO
has come into considerable prominence
because Of the fact thai ne is solely re-
sponsIbls for the Introduction Of the
reindeer IN Alaska. arrived in this city
from the East Thursday evening and. in
an interview with a Post-Intelligencer re-
porter yesterday afternoon. stated that
he was strongly In favor OF the United
States government killing OF every seal
al the PribiIof islands this season. thus
bringing to an end the great i1teTna-
tional trouble which has continued for
years and which has cost the United
States many million dollars.
= must say" said Mr.. Jackson, that
I favor such policy and It is the only
way that our government viii ever get
anything out OF II, At present IL costs
about 81. GO, 600 a year 10 keep fleet Of
vessels in northern waters and what
recompcnse do We get2 ! ~ate1 while
was IN Washington City mat Il would
be the best move We could make TO have
every seal killed off this season. II that
were done. the government would have
lot OF money turned into the treasury,
bat II things go on as they have been go
ing on for a long time the Canadian
poschers viii have every seal and We viii
have what-why simply a big mole in the
treasury. It IS an actual fact In my mind
this matter and. while don't believe that
the advice / give will De followed, ] do
believe that Il would be the only correct
thing to do. Il Is not the American
poachers that we have 10 fear so much.
but the Canadians. II an American YES
sci IS caught poaching. she is seized. and
the American government does not pay
her owner any indemnity. but IL the
American feet seiZes a British vessel we
confiscate IL, and by an international
court the owners are awarded damages.
Consequently you Will ind that Ameri-
cans 90 north and employ British boats
10 poach for them.
II have been in Alaska for a good many
years and during the past six years have
noticed a remarkable decrease in the
herds on the Pribilof islands No; / be-
lieve that the suggestion have made Will
not be put into effect, because somehow
I feel that the American people-Iny peo-
ple-have not sense enough to do ii. You
can rest assured, however. that the Brit
ish will look after their interests. as they
always do. England Will bulldoze when
ever the opportunity presents itself. and
is always making some sort Of fight for
the possession of land. II she can't win
by fair means, she will swing in by a foul.
LAS 10 the Alaska boundary question,
will say that there will be trouble IL
things don't come out as they should.
The trouble which We are having with
England over il should never have oc-
CURED. England has no right to 1t but.
in her bulldozing way. she ina gines that
she has and will fight TO the last. In
less we also show fight You can depend
upon X that she will have that which
sc is after. Her claim is a very unjust
one. and the people who are acquainted
with the facts know Ii.
LAS TO the reindeer station which the
"A --f.,
IL means much 10 Alaska. and when the
country is opened up the reindeer will
play the leading part In the fast deYel-
opment OF IL. At present we have a herd
of about $50. and they are on the in
crease. We still purchase them from ST.
IBERIA and raise a great many al the sta
ton. Last year we gave the Congrega-
tionalists,' who have missions at Alaska.
a herd Of over 100. and this season we ex-
pect 10 give the Catholics and the Luth-
Grams a herd each. We would like to in
troduce few on the Yukon. but hard
" think that we will be successful fer
some time yet"
Mr. Jackson has been in charge of the
reindeer station since he established ii
in 1891. and always made his headquar-
tiers al the station. This year, however.
he will live at Sitka. as he has much
work TO do in Southeastern Alaska. His
assistant, William Hamilton. Will have
charge of the station. Mr.. Jackson has
been East since last November and spent
the greater part of his time al Wash
ington City.