Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-14
7 o KILL THE eAl S
Representative Johnson's Bill Strongly 0p-
posed BY the Scientists
Prof. Jordan Says IL Would Not Ace
complain the Desired End-The
QacstiOn Would he Revived.

The bill which Representative Johnson NJ
North Dakota proposes to Introduce in
the House providing for the complete ex-
termination of the seal herd of Boring sea
does not meet with favor among the scient-
lists who have made a special study of the
question of seal life. Prof David Starr Jor-
dan. president of Stanford University. who
is undoubtedly the highest authority i'm the
United States on the scientific aspects of
the seal question. is strong in his opposi-
ton to such a policy as is embodied in Mr..
Jonnson's bill. AS is well known. ne was
selected by the President to make a special
study of seal life. and he spent several
months of this summer and last summer
IN the Boring sea prosecuting his research
rs. In preliminary report to the Treas
TRY Department giving the result OF his
most recent Investigations he makes the fol-
lowing pointed remarks on the subject OF
the proposed slaughter CT the seals:
within the past two years il has several
times been proposed that we should settle
tie fur seal@question once for all by the
slaughter of the entire herd on it's breed
ing grounds. 1t is scarcely necessary to
point out that this course of action would
not accomplish the de sired END. As the
animals are never all present at one time
on the Islands a remnant would be left
which in time would revive the herd and
time every objection which has been
urged against pelagic sealing would he
Justly chargeabie against such n slaughter.
1t would be necessary to lie In wait for the
a avid females and kill them as they came
on land to give birth TO their young or to
provide them with nourishment. The young
must be slaughtered wantonly or else left
to starve. The whole proposition is an
abominable one without single redeeniing
feature.
The fur seal is the noblest of all the
mammals of the sea. From the naturalists
point of view it is one of the most inter-
&C numerical point of view II is one of the
most valuable. Unlike the buffalo. the elk,
the stag and like animals ii occupies ter
ritory that cannot he used for any other
pl rpose. Where the former animals once
ro AIMED great cities have grown up. but
the haunts of the fur seal would be desert
ed for all time If their inhabitants were
destroyed.
Though sadly reduced in numbers a nu-
cIeus of the fur seal herd is still left. Tn
der favorable conditions ii can be restored.
The Pribilof herd once yielded 10o,Wo skins
annually. worth S2O0,O0 or more. and
without injury to itself. This would repre-
sent a cash value of so5c00oO0. If properly
protected it will again reach this value.
These figures represent a sum too great to be
IL rown away in childish spite. To slaugh-
ter the fur SC al herd ourselves because its
preservation is beset with diplomatic diff
ficulteS, in which the fault has not all been
on one side. would be a confession OF i'm
potence unworthy of civilized nation. 1t
would transfer to the United States alone
and for all time the odium for the destruc-
ticn of the fur seal herds