Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-14

admitted under similar circumstances for
the Omaha Exposition, wheTf arrested in
deportation proceedings, were promptly dis
charged by the United States court.e1f the
Congress should deem it advisable, in the
Light of past experience, to grant similar
privileges hereafter the number to be ad-
mitted should be properly limited, provision
should be made by the taking of sufficient
bonds to inforce their due deportation, and
the department should be clothed with au-
thority to make and inforce necessary reSu-
lations.
"A large numbar of watchmen. so called.
were employed during the past year to pre-
vent the landing of Chinese laborers en-
p.oyed on vessels arriving at ports in the
CDited States, at an expense amounting to
Sill ,dJ6..b. The necessity for this expendi-
ture would be obviated If authority should
b. granted for the taking of bonds from
n asters of such vessels, to prevent the
landing of such Chinese laborerS.
1T is believed that the bureau of immi-
grafton should have charge of the enforce
ment of the Chinese exclusion laws. and l
res pectfuliy recommend that the Congress
be asked to legislate to that end
Seal Islands of Alaska.
AT the seal islands, while the weather
proved exceptionally favorable for the work
of sealing a diminished catch is reported
for the season. Only 1852 sealskns were
taken on the seal islands during the season
OF 1899, notwithstanding the. quota was
skins taken by the Iessees was 1S,OiT.
LAS instructed by the department.. the
treasury agents made careful daily surveys
of the rookeries and hauling grounds dur
ing the summer, with view to obtaining
trustworthy data upon which to base est-
mates of the condition of the seal life, in
such work following the lines of inVesusa-
ton laid down by the fur seal commission
o. 1861. AS shown by the annual report
of the agent in charge, there has been
diminution in the rookery life of about 20
per cent since 1858.
During the year 1897 the British sealing
fleet. comprising IL vessels. took 3u 40 seal
skins, including lois skins taken by In
dams in canoes. OF this number 5,OS2 were
taken on the coast of British Columbia and
15,6O1 in Boring sea, the remainder having
been obtained in Asiatic waters.
During the year 1893 the British sealing
fleet. numbering 30 vessels, took 9,6i6 skias
on the coast of British Columbia and 1914!
in Boring sea. while their total catch. m
Guiding 100 skins taken by Indians in
canoes, was 2S. :i52, much smaller number
having been taken in the vicinity of Japan
and the Copper Islands than in the year
1897
These depredations clearly explain the
rapid decrease in the number of seals on
the seal islands ard in the number of skins
taken by the lessees. Male seals only have
been killed on the islands during many
years past, and there is always a surplus
of male seals. But one American vessel
engaged in pelagic sealing during the last
fiscal year. and her official log shows that
she took 22I sealskins in the vicinity OF
the Galapagos Islands, outside the prohb-
tied area.
THE income derived by the government
from this years catch on the seal islands
will be about $4,000.
Salmon Fisheries of Alaska.
THE inspection of the salmon fisheries
of Alaska during the past season has been
thorough for the reason that
the agent in charge thereof was afforded
to the various canneries on
a revenue cutter. His preliminary report
states that the season has been extremely
profitable to the canneries, and that the
light catch at karluk and Uyak Bay was
more than counterbalanced by great gains
at other fisheries. At the cannertes named
not one-fourth of the catch of other days
can row be taken and these fisheries are
threatened with destruction. which not thing
years will avert. AT Bristol bay. Prince
William sound, and Hunters bay the catch
OF salmon was much greater this year than
before, and the total product of the sea-
son will exceed 1.oHO.6DO cases of salmon.
from which the government Will derive a
revenue, under the act Of March 3. 1889
relating to Alaska, Of about $4,000
The agents have reported violations of
he law at various canneries, and steps
have been taken to impose proper penal
ties; but the legal remedies afforded are
not effective. and they suggest that the
officers of the department should be cloth
ed with authority to seize cannerieS en-
gagged in Illicit operations that result in
the wantOn destruction of salmon, other
wise the wasteful methods will inevitably
destroy the salmon fisheries of Alaska
each cannery be limited and the mainte-
nance of hatCheries he made obligatory.
The depredationS of the canneries in the
waters of .Afognak Island. a government
native Inhabitants who depend upon the
salmon fisheries, and a penalty should be
provided
Liquor in Alaska.
The act of March 8, 1893, providing a
code Of criminal PROCEDURE fer Alaska. also
provided for the licensed sale of liquor, in
that territory and operated TO- repeal the
laws prohibiting the importation and sale
of liquors This act took effect on july 1,
1899. and relieved the department of the
almost impossible task Of preventing the
of liquors into that territory
II has also had the effect of enormously
reducing the number of HQuor Saloons re-
ports to the department stating that at
SkagWay the number has been reduced
from Is to 10, at Wrangell from IS to 4
and at Sitka from to 2 while at Dyea
where there were lately 45 saloons, there
were none few weeks ago.
Provision should be made for the preser-
walton Of the game and fur-bearing ami
mails of Alaska. Deer are now killed at all
seasons for their pelts, which sell for only
% cents each on the coast. and the sea Of
ter is practically extinct. Collectors of
customs on the Pacific coast are required
to report the arrival of vessels with fur
skins, and from the reports already on
file In this office the following summary,
showing the total number of skins Of vart-
Gus kinds, has been compiled, viz:
Sea otter, 152; land otter ,223; beaver
7,SOl black bear, 571: brown bear. 39J;
polar bear 5; black fox, :: unclassiffed fox
JI6; wolverine, l2J; marten, 1.5SS; mink
4,5''S ermiue, 40: muskrat, $40. musk OK
Ii; unclassitcd bear, 2SS; silver gray fox
16l; red fox, 1.j9i; cross fox, So; white
fox. ZIG; blue fox, 79l; squirrel. Il; lynx
1s6: wolf, %; hair seal, 81; deer, 1924;
fawn, $500; sable. 4; packages of furs (un-
classified, 81.
with the exception of the deer, favn
and sable, which were taken on the Asiatic
coast, all of the skins noted above were
obtained In Alaska.
Nine islands in Alaska have been leased
during the past year, under the authority
contained in the sundry civil act of March
3. 1879, for the rOpagation of foxes and
a rental of 800 for each has been collected
and turned into the treasury. An Off
Ger of the revenue cutter service was in
structed to notify the occupants of other
islands used for the same purpose that