New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-11
TO VISIT BEHRING SEA AGAIN.
PRESIDENT JORDAN ACCEPTS AN AP-
POINTMENT AS COMMISSIONER.
HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES WILL ONCE MORE IN
vEsTTGATE THE CONDITION OF THE SEAL
HERD-sURPRIsE CAUSED By THE
BRITISH EXPERTS REPORT.

BRITISH EXPERTS REPORT
Washington, May io.-Charles g. Hamlin. formerly
Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury and now EN-
poyed by the Government as assistant counsei III
the pending negotiations with Great Britain reia-
tive TO the seal fisheries. has returned from OaN-
fornia where he went TO confer with PRESIDENT
Jordan Of Leland Stanford University. President
Jordan spent a part OF last season on the seal
Islands as commissioner in charge OF the inVesti-
cations and Mr. Hamllns mission vas 10 secure IL
possible the acceptance by President Jordah OF d
similar commission for the coming season. ana aiSo
10 discuss the scope Of this years lnVes'iga'o''
Mr. Jordan has agreed to undertake the work. and
in company with Professors Stejneger and Lucas oi
the United States National Museum, the other mem
bcrs of the commission. Joseph Murray. OF Color
ado and Mr. Morton, OF Indiana. special agents OF
the Treasury Department, will sail for the fr'oy-
loft Islands about June !. The Instructions 10 tue
Commissioners now In preparation ana WIN NC
completed n few days. 1t Is said that they VIII no'
differ In any important particular from those given
a year ago The practice OF branding the ie''a'e
pups begun last year. will be continued
Tho ronort of the British commission which prose-
cutcd its Investigation on the islands IN conJunc-
ton with the United States commission mas
reached the State Department, ana althoueh '"e
officials decline discuss It, there Is no doubt tha'
they were somewhat surprised at the CONCLUSIONS
reached II had been confidently assured that the
that under existing conditions the seal herds were
in imminent danger Of annihilation. but II does not
do so. The report. however. is not entires dlsap-
pointing as Mr.. Thompson admits that the sl'ua-
ton demands prudent management TO prevent
depletion of the herds. - A., p..
Mr. Thompson In closing his report TO the Brt, 81 "
,sh authorities says: "The alarming statements 10
which utterance has been given In recent years;
the accounts Of tho herds immediate decrease ana
the prophecies Of It's approaching eXtinctlon. are
oyertlrawn and untenabe. But II Is my outy 10
state to Your Lordship that there Is stl apuhdant
need for care and for prudent measures or con-
servation In the interests Of all birth rate wnlcn
we estimated at 1900 per annum Is not great IN
comparison with the drain upon the stock FROM
one cause or another. a loss of over twenty thou-
sand Is experienced among the pups ere they emil
CRATE 10 sea, and. though the dangers they mere
encounter unknown 10 us. we may take IL LOT
certain that the risks they run are great ana tne
loss they endure considerable. When TO the meas
ured loss In infancy and to the unmeasured loss
in youth and age add the toll taken on me
Islands and the toll taken in the sea- 1t Is not dit-
fcut believe that the margin OF SAFETY Is mar
row one il Il be- not already In some measure over
stepped. We may hope for perpetuaton OF the
present numbers; we cannot count upon an In
crease And It is my earnest hope that recogni-
ton of mutual interests and regard for the COM
mon advantage may suggest measures OF prudence
which shall keep the pursuit and slaughter or the
animal within due and definite bounds