The herald., 1895-10-16
The Governor of Alaska Makes
Annual Report
ENGLISH USE OF FIREARMS
The Mining Industry Will Be Permanent
and Profitable
The Inhabitants Of Alaska Believe That the
United States viii Maintain Its
Claim to Territory


Associated Press special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10. - James
Sheakley, governor of Alaska, in his an
nual report to the secretary of the in
terror, says that on the 4th of July the
cutters Rush, Corwin, Grant and Perry
wore in the harboi of Unalaska and gave
tho natives an object lesson as to the pro-
per and patriotic celebration of the day.
On the disappearance of the seals the
governor says: "No one at all familiar
with the past history of the islands can
look upon the deserted rookeries To-Day
and not realize with crushing force how
great has been the diminutIon of seal
life. especially of the reproductive class,
the females
The governor says that the claim of the
Canadians and the British that the ex-
cessive killing of seals on sand is the
cause of the depletion is disproved by
the statistics. He says that on the rook-
cries now there ara many male seals.
while females are scarce. The diminu-
tion is due directly to the killing at sea,
where no discrimination can be made as
to the sex Of the seals. He sayg that
better protection must oe granted them
than is afforded by the Paris tribunal and
that the schooners have not been able to
make the usual catches this season, the
catch of the British vessels being not
over 100 per vessel He says Of the British
vessels:
"The only hope of saving themselves
from loss was Bering sea, as the supply
here (Pnbyloff) is greatly dimi nlshed.
Great Britain gave to the Canadian seal
ers increased facilities by awaiting herself
OF technicality and violating the clear
intent of the Paris regulations relating to
firearms. When the Canadian authorl-
ties secured from England what is prac-
ticaliy reputation or ut least mega
ton of the Paris tribunal, they knew it
would be possible for British Colum bian
sch oopers coming from the Asiatic side
of the sea to use the allowed firearms and
evade lection by asserting that the
skins found on board with shot wounds
while i'll Bering sea we're skins taken
on the Japan coast"
The governor says that the remedy for
the evil Is simple, but under existing con-
ditions its application is difficult, unless
Great Britain has forfeited. by her recent
action, all right to consideration, and the
United States holds with firm hand all
vessels found engaged in destroying seals,
the remedy laid down by the Paris tri-
bunal has proved failure.
The governor saws that $1,000 skins
were taken on the islands this year and
oc,UuU were tdkeH ny pOtCuorS, 10 per
cent of which were females.
The COVE nor says that The patrol of
the sea by the United States has been of
the best and the government has acted in
good faith ID its efforts to enforce the
Paris tribunal. l4
The governor discusses at some length
the mining. industry of Alaska and says
that the production indicates that 1T will
be a profitable and permanent industry.
The laws of the mining country are adj
ministered by the miners themselves aud
it is wholly impracticable to try to ex-
ercise government control of the mines at
present.
Upon the subject of the A laskan bound
airy the governor says:
'"The people of Alaska, over the whole
country. expect and believe that the gov
eminent of OF tho United States will de-
fend and maintain our right to all the
territory included within the boundary
line fixed ana agreed upon ty the treaty
made between Great Britain and Bussia
in 1862 and acquiesced in for nearly three
quarters of century without question or
dispute.'