The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-18
Lord Salisbury and the Seal Experts.

Lord Salisbury and the Seal Experts.
The sixteen separate findings unanimous
ly agreed to and signed by the seal experts
of Great Britain, Canada, and the United
States confirm some views long held by our
Government, but thus far urged upon the
other two Governments in vain.
So late as year before last Lord SAILS
BURY refused to join the United States in a
modus vtrendt for the protection Of the
fur seals, intimating hat American rep
RESERVATIONS as to the evils of pelagic hunt
ing were not we'll founded. In his instruc-
lions to Sir JULIAN PAUNcEFoTE, dated
May II of that year, he concluded that, in
the preceding season, "more seals were
met with than before, and from this point
of view the increased catch does not
point to any imminent danger of
extinction of the Species" He further
urged that "the small take on the
islands was not due to the results of the
pelagic catch Of last year" A rejoinder
from our Government, after these instruc.
lions were made known to it, brought from
Lord COUGH, on Aug. 10, the assertion that
there had been no UGH alarming increase
IN the pelagic catch of seals on the Ameri-
can side as to justify any extension of the
regulations" and further that "the catch
of 1894 was secured at less cost to the herd
han that of 1891"
The Joint conclusions of the experts, for
the sending out of whom E%ngland's consent
was secured only after the most earnest
pleading, are a striking comment on the
British attitude. Pelagic hunting, to any
extent worth considering, began about
1884, and the British experts join ours in
saying that from that time to the present
the Pribylov herd has declined, and is now
only one-third or one-ffth as large as
formerly. They find that, while Gland
killing of males as now practiced does nc
harm to the herd" females canno be killed
In large numbers without checking the in
crease of the herd, and that "the catch al
sea contains a marked excess OF females
because 1t is indiscriminate.
1t is true that the experts agree that lit
eral determination Is not to be feared, bu'
they assert that determination to thu
extent of destroying the profit of the seal
ing industry has already occurred. thei
statement being that "both land and SCI
killing now yield an inconsiderable prof
either to the lessees or to the pelagic seal
ers," because Excessive pelagic sealing ha
led to a reduction of the herd"
fhe conference that led to these conclu
sions is now ended, and the next question
Is as to what Lord SALISBURY will do. TIL
hypothesis and assumptions of past year
must give way to the conclusions of tn
experts. Our Government bought Alask
thirty years ago, a large source of relianc
for meeting a fair rate of interest on the in
vestment and the cost of administration be
ing the Pribylov Islands. These islands 70
nearly twenty years yielded 100000 seal
year, and might have yielded as much t
this day, with greatly increased rents an
royalties, had not Excessive pelagic sea
ing led TO II reduction of the herd" Thi
source of diminution is still going on, fo
the experts add hat the decrease In tn
number of breeding females from 1896 t
1897 was notable"
1t might naturally be supposed that Ens
land and Canada would accept the repol
of their W experts, and assent forthwith
to that modification Of the Paris rulI
b