Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-18
sealIng cnnfrsnee sntl,faetnry.

l. ne behllHB CuuibtelUb betWBeu ublb-
gates representing this country, Great
Britain and Canada, which had been
in progress at Washington for several
days, came to close Tuesday night. The
result was highly satisfactory, tbs seal
experts making unanimous rondrt
concerning the condition of tho GOAL
herds, and She diplomatic representa-
tires Of The respective governments
having an understanding by which they
hope Mt late date to effect final adj
justmeni not only of tho Bahring Sea
question, hut of other pending border
controversies. For the present, however,
no final action was taken as to the
Suspension Of pelagic sealing.
The Canadians urged that other cues.
tions be embraced in any plan Of settle-
ment, and suggested 40 international
commission to accomplish this end.
This proposition waa fully discussed,
and an agreement reached that The
Canadian officials would put their views
in writing after returning to Ottawa
and submit them to the authorities
here All partiuH concerned say that
tho outlook is favorable to O salts
factory adjustment
The unanimous agreement OF the ex !.
perts brings the governments together
for the first time on all the facta re.
latiug to the seals. This agreement
was reached after painatahing comnari-
son of notes, and the resuta were an.
nounced in an official statement made
public by General Foster, as follows:
The delegates to the fur spa con.
ference have agreed unanimously upon
certain propositions touching the fur
seal herds of Behring Sea. The rapport
contains sixteen propositions, which are
briefly enitonized as follows:
That the Pribylolf herd has tlerl inutl
| in numbers from 1854 to 1897; that thu
number was formerly three to five 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 3 years; that the number oil
breeding femaleH in 1896 and 1897 was
| between l6O, 600 to 100, 600: that the
decrease from 1896 to 1897 was notable,
| though it's extent could not lie definitely
determined; that land killing nf malet
az now practieed does no harm TO tbs
| herd; that the pelagic eealarR respect
the limitations Of the law that pelag il
scaling involves indiscriminate killing
that the catch at sea contains q markbC
exoeBa of femalas; that the killing o.
males on land is tho cause of this; thai
among the females killed are not on y
those nursing and pregnant, but alst
many who are immature or have alreAd,
lost their pups that the fur seal
being polygamous large number O
males may be killed with immunity
that females cannot he killed in simiIal
Plumbers without checking the increast
OF tho herd or bringing about an aetna
decline; that small number OF females
less than the annual increment D
hreeders, might be taken without pro
ducing actual decreases; that excessive
pelagic sealing has led to a reduction
in the hera; that pelagic sealing ha
Of late fallen off in greater ratio thai
the herd has. thus producing a ten
dency toward equilibrium 10 numbers
that 10 estimating the future condition.
of the herd must be taken into con
sideration reductions 10 the number @
surviving pups caused by the pelagi
catches Of 1891 1895; that the herd i
not in danger OF actual DETERMINATION
SO long as its haunts on land are pro
tected and the protected 2une is main
tanned; that both land and sea kilIint
now yield an Uncomfortable profit eitho
to the essees or to the nelsgic sealer
themselves.
While this agreement does not FINAL
settle the seal controversy. it goes
long way in that direction. The reure
sentatiyes of the three government
have agreed upon statement of facts
and il should not be matter OF grea
difficulty 10 the future TO come togethe
upon an understanding that shall remov
the seal fisheries question from th
field of diplomatic conteation.