Evening star., 1901-02-09
Reasons Why It Is Now Maintained
II Il
at a Loss.
RESULTS Of. P'fELAGIc p SEALING
Only Hope is5sin the Protection Of
tbe Herds.
q DER HEAVY EXPEN Sc


The future of the fur seal industry at
present seems to rest in the hands OF the
joint high commission. of which the late
Lord Herschell was the head. and Gen.
John w. Foster, representative on oenaH
Of the United States for the fur seal IN
terests. This commission at quebec In
September, 1893, to consider number OF
questions at issue between the United states
and Canada After several months OF dis
cussion it reached a deadlock on the Alaska
boundary matter, and has apparently done
nothing since. At the time OF its activity II
was ramored in the press dispatches that
virtual agreement had been reached on
the seal question and number OF the
minor questions before the commission
In the fur seal matter the settlement fore
shadowed pointed to the probability of pur-
chase by the United States OF tho vested
rights Of the Canadian sealers, with con-
current action on the part of Great Britain
in enforcing the abolition Of the pelagic
industry. The only detail remaining Tor
adjustment was said to be the purchase
price, the appraisers on behalf of Canada
fixing the value of the pelagic fleet at half
a million dollars. those for the United
States holding that its value was not over
half this sum, or a quarter of million.
Pelagfc Sealing.
BY the findings Of fact made by the joint
conference Of fur seal experts In 1887, fol-
lowing the investigation in this and the
preceding season by President Jordan Tor
the United States and Professor Thompson
for Great Britain, the responsibility for the
decline and threatened destruction OF the
fur seal herd was laid at the door OF pc
laglc sealing. 1t was shown that Wnlle the
land operations of the United States were
confined to the taking of the superfuous
male portion of the herd, the operations OF
the pelagic fleet We're wholly indlscrlm-
mate and affected most heavily the breed
ing females, three -fourths of the entire
catch at sea being of this class.
1t was evident, therefore, that the con-
tinuance of pelagic scaling and the MAIN
tenance of the fur seal herd We're incom-
patble. 1t was on the basis of this agree
ment that the Quebec commission took up
the question for final settlement. The task
before these diplomats was merely that or
finding just and effective means OF dis
posing of the right of pelagic sealing.
If pelagic sealing Is not abolished OF
course the future of the fur seal herd and
the industries depending upon 1t is annlhi-
latiQn, and there is no room for further dis
cussion 1t is hardly to be supposed, how
ever, that some final settlement In the in
terests Of the. herd will not be reached.
such settlement is as much In the inter
est of the peagic seafers as of the govern
ment owning the herd, for the pelagic in
dustry is a suicidal one inevitably exhaust
ing it's own resources. In fact, most of
those engaged in 1t are already bankrupt
The product of land sealing has fallen off
In the past ten years from 100000 to 10000
skins, but in half of that time the product
of the pelagic industry has fallen from a
maximum of $4,000 TO $4,000 skins It Is
therefore plainly a losing business for the
pelagic sealer and it ought to be possible
to agree upon terms which would induce
him to go out of 1t. We may. therefore.
assume that a settlement will be reached
In time, and that it will so protect the herd
as to render its 7recuperation and further
development possible.
Present Conditions.
Before considering future conditions we
may inquire what is the present condition
of the legitimate fur seal industry-that Of
the United States government. This indus
try has been in existence ever since the first
charter was granted by the Emperor of
Russia to the Russian-American Company
in 1899. The pelagic industry, which threat
ems its existence, dates only from about the
year 1879. 1t was found by the conference
of experts that in 1897 the fur seal herd was
already Commercially ruined, that is,
that the cost of protection and maintenance
on land and at sea exceeded the returns
from 1t.
The present condition of the fur seal m
dustry is commercially Improbable. Bio
logically speaking, the herd, though re-
duced to less than one-sxth it's normal con-
diton. is still represented by q vigorous
nucleus, from which under proper protec-
ton 1t might be expected in due time to
re-establiSh itself.
At the present time the legitimate product
Of the herd the yearly quota of young
males) is about 10000 skins. The govern
ment, under its contract with the COM
mercial company leasing the industry. re-
ceives an annual rental Of 200 and a
royalty Of $40 per skin. From the 10000
skins therefore the government receives an
annual income of $255,0OO. Against this
income must be set certain expenses. CHIEF
among these is the cost Of policing the
a,,l Dr.
enforcement of the regulations of the Paris
award of 1893. These regulations provide
for a close season in May, June and July
and a protected zone of sixty miles radius
about the breeding islands, in which seal
ing Is not allowed, restrictions which are
by no means self-enforcing on the high
seas. During the seasons of 1896 and 1897
the United States had fleet of five reve
nue. cutters on patrol duty at an expense
of from $50 900 to s173,000 a season. Great
Britain had three gunboats in 1896 and two
in 1897 on duty to the same end
sealers Must BE Supported.
Another item of expense is the support OF
the Aleutian sealers residing on the Priblof
Islands, who carry on the sealing operations
and are dependent upon the industry for
their livelihood. There are two villages,
numbering 800 men, women and children.
The men are paid by the lessees for Their
labor at so much per skin.
When the full quota of loo, 900 skins was
taken each year these communities were
self-supporting; the earnings of the men
were sufficient to meet the needs OF their
families. With the quota reduced to one
fifth it's normal size their earnings are in
adequate and Congress finds it necessary
to supplement them The By an annual a appro
gotten moreover in dealing with the fu-
ture of the fur seal herd that these people
must become a charge upon the bounty
of the government in case Of its failure
Other items Of expense. such as the sala-
who reside upon ithe'islands and care for
the governments interests nt and the cost Of
administration in thes treasury bureau at
Washington, are not, 80 easily estimated
but are considerable: e.ata When " bring these
verdict of the frfr seal experts was justi-
fed and that the indus industry is at present
noted, however, that the largest item of
expense that for nsFss Rao seaag Is due solely to
disappear with its abolition. The question
Of the support 9f the native sealers would
nrotected and enabled to grow and in