Evening star., 1904-03-11

OFF { R ACC EP TED D
The Government Will Restrict
Killing of Seals.
END OF THE HEARINGS
REGULATION OF PRIBILOE
ISLANDS INDUSTRY.
Prof. Elliott of Cleveland Finishes His
END OF THE HEARINGS
Prof. Elliott of Cleveland Finishes His
Testimony Before the Ways and
Means Committee.

Hearings on the Robinson resolution to
suspend indefinitely the killing of fur seals
on the Pribilof Islands of Alaska were
finished yesterday afternoon before the
House committee on ways and means. The
members of the committee evinced unusual
interest in the statements made by scien-
lists and others who appeared before the
committed The resolution will be taken up
for action in executive session within the
next few days.
Prof Elliott Closes His Testimony.
Prof. II. w Elliott of Cleveland. Ohio,
who spent several years among the seals
as a government naturalist, closed his testi-
mony in the afternoon. He resented the
criticism on his work on the sealing ques-
tiou made by ex-senator Faulkner, who ap-
peared the representative OF the North
American Commercial Company, in oppo-
stion to the resolution. Prof Elliott said
that Dr. David Starr Jordan of Stanford
University had been held up against him
He claimed that DIR. Jordan spent only
twenty-three days among the seals and re-
turned to this country with three PROPOSE
tions. which he termed discoveries One Of
these the speaker stated, was the alleged
discovery that the pup seals are trampled
to death by the bull and COW seals. An
other was that the way to put stop to
pelagic sealing. or taking at sea, was to
brand the seals The third discovery, ac-
corning TO 1TOl. EIlOtt, was tLdI N oOi
dan had entered into an agreement with the
Canadian government to stop pelagfc
sealing.
prof. Elliott analyzed each of the propo-
stions. He said that facts controverted the
theory of the young seals being trampIed to
death, and it was abandoned. The propo-
stion to brand the seals proved none the
less worthy, while the negotiations with
Canada amounted to nothing. 1t was as
serted that in order to get Canadian testi-
mony that during two years past the land
killing had not materially diminished the
hero DR.. Jordan had abandoned all OF the
indictments brought by the United States
against the practice of pelagic sealing
Mr. Hitchcock's Statement Criticised.
Prof Elliott called into question the
statement of Mr. Frank Hitchcock. repre-
senting the Department of Commerce and
Labor. TO the effect that the pelagic. catch
for last year amounted to but little more
than 12OO0 seals. He asserted that the
London sales proved the catch TO have
been in the neighborhood of 1880. Prof.
Elliott said he did not question Mr.. Hitch
cocks integrity, but declared the figures
show how easily it IS for an honest and
upright young government official to be
imposed upon by the sealers.
Chairman PAYNE declared that despite
this fact the committee would not believe
everyone connected with the sealing Indus
try dishonest.
Prof. Elliott said the Robinson resolution
might be so amended as to allow the North
American Company to kill the $500 seals
1t is proposed to slaughter each year as
food for the natives. The resolution as it
now stands proposes that the government
kill the seals and sell the skins. Senator
Faulkner asserted that this would be in
violation of the terms of the contract with
the company.
Mr.. Hitchcock's Contention.
Mr. Hitchcock. from the Department of
T. ID
mitted there was evidence that pelagic seal
ing was going on in American waters by
foreign vessels. He said he had not looked
into the matter of the instructions given to
the revenue cutters on this subject, but
he intended to do SO at once. Mr.. Hitch
cock claimed the matter of limiting the
number of seals to be killed should be left
In the hands of the deDartrnent, which
would zealously guard the herd.
Departments Offer Accepted.
The hearing came to a sudden ending by
the acceptance of the offer of the depart
ment to practically restrict the killing of
seals to very small number next season.
The friends of the Robinson resolution
accepted the proposition of the department,
made by Mr. Hitchcock. at once and unani-
mously. This proposition as outlined by
Mr.. Hitchcock binds the department to al
low no killing of seals four years old and
over and none under two years old on the
Islands by the lessees; 1t also reserves 1000
of the choice three-year-old males and GOO
of the choice two-year-od males from kill
ing. each reserved seal being so marked at
the opening of the season as to identify II
throughout the entire season as it may be
redriven The department also engaged to
suspend all killing the islands If the
government of Great Britain would sus-
pend all killing by her subjects in the sea.
Acceptable to Prof. Elliott
These offers of the department were at
once accepted by Prof. Elliott as entirely
satisfactory to the movers of the Robinson
resolution, and he said that they desired
no further action on it,.
Chairman Payne ordered the statements
printed which were made to the committee
by Messrs. Elliott. Faulkner, Hitchcock and
Ivy.
PUBLIC WORKS IN CHILE.