The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-11-24
SEAL EXPERTS AGREE.
Canadians Discuss other Problems Which
will be Submitted Later.

The Behring sea meeting In which
representatives Of Great Britain, Cam
ada and the United States have par
ticipated came to a. close Tuesday
night, the seal experts making unan-
imous report concerning the condition
of the seal herds, and the diplomatic
representatives of the respective gov
ernments reaching an understanding
by which they hope to effect final ad-
justment not only of the Behring sea
question, but of other pending border
controversies. For the present, now
ever. no final action was taken as TO
the suspension of pelagic sealing. The
Canadians urged that other questions
be embraced i'm any plan of settlement,
and suggested an international com
mission to accomplish this end. This
p, oposition was fully discussed and an
agreement reached that the Canadian
officials would put their views I'm writ
ing after returning to ottawa and sub
init them to the authorities here. All
parties concerned say that the outlook
Is favorable to satisfactory ADJUST
ment.
The unanimous agreement was
reached after painstaking comparison
of notes and the results were announc-
ed In an official statement by Gen. Fos-
ter, as follows:
"The delegates to the fur seal con-
certain propositions touching the fur
seal herds of Behring sea. The report
contains sixteen propositions, which
are briefly epltomized as follows:
That the Pribyloff herd has declined
In numbers from 1884 to 1881; that the
number was formerey to times
that which now exists: that the death
rate among pups is great. not more
than one-half to one-third surviving
to the age of three years: that the
number OF breeding females In 1896 and
1897 was between 100000 to 10000; that
the decrease from 1896 to 1887 was nota-
BILE, though Its extent could not be def
initely determined; that land-killing OF
males as now practiced does no harm
to the herd that the pelagic sealers
respect the limitations of the law; that
pelagic sealing involves indiscriminate
killing: that the catch at sea contains
a marked excess of females that the
killing of males on land is the cause Of
this; that among the females killed are
not only those both nursing and preg-
nant. but also many who are immature
or who have already lost their pups;
that the fur seal being polygamous a
large number of males may be killed
with impunity; that females cannot be
killed i'm similar numbers without
checking the increase of the herd or
bringing about an actual decline: that
small number of females, less than
the annual increment of breeders,
might be taken without producing ac-
tual decrease; that excessive pelagic
sealing has led to reduction In the
herd: that pelagic scaling has of late
fallen off in greater ratio than the
herd has. this producing tendency
toward equilibrium i'm numbers; that In
estimating the future conditions of the
herd must he taken into consideration.
reductions in the numbers of surviving
pups caused by the pelagic catches of
1S9i-1S95; that the herd Is not i'm danger
of actual determination so long as its
launts on land are protected and the
protected zone is maintained: that both
land and sea killing now yield an in
considerable profit either to the lessees
or to the pelagic sealers themselves.