Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-14
TO SAVE THE SEALS
Purpose Of Bill introduced by
Senator Dillingham;.
TO OPEN NEGOTIATIONS
WILL ATTEMPT REVISION OF THE
REGULATIONS.
If Efforts Fail Then the Surplus Fee
male Life on Pribilof Islands
May b Reduced.
TO OPEN NEGOTIATIONS

The report OF the subcommittee Of the
Senante committee on territories which
visited Alaska last fall to inquire into the
condition of the seal industry win be Is
sued from the government printing Office I'M
a few days. 1t shows that the seal herd Is
rapidly being destroyed and that all past
agreements with Great Britain for it's pres
ervation have failed of their purpose.
The subcommittee consists of Senators
Dillingham;, Burnham, Nelson and Patter-
son. The report. written by Senator Dill
bingham, Is exhaustive and gives absolute
proof that If present conditions IN relation
to the seal fisheries are continued the spe-
cies will be practically annihilated
Committee Recommendations.
The committee recommends that s,is-
pension of all killing by the Iessees Of the
seal islands be made at once and indefinite
ly, and that the government Of the United
States shall attempt to reopen and conclude
negotiations with the government Of Great
Britain looking to a revision of. existing
rules and regulations which govern the
taking of seals In the open waters of the
North Pacific ocean and Berng sea, and
that negotiations be opened with Russia
and Japan to the end that. all pelagic seal
ing may be stopped: and if after reason
able length of time the government fails
|
OF such rules, or concludes such negeiia-
tons, then the Secretary of Commerce may.
with the approval of the President, reduce
the surplus female life of the herd on the
Pribilof Islands to 10000.
With the herd so reduced in numbers,
pelagic sealing will not be profitable as an
industry and the herd will be permitted to
Increase and multiply, slowly at first, after
ward more rapidly, until again proper regu-
lations may be adopted for killing.
Mr.. Diliingham's Bill.
These recommends tons are embodied in a
bill introduced in the Senate by Mr.. Dilling-
ham and now before the committee on for
eign relations Bills stin more drastic than
that proposed by Mr.. Dillingham; have been
passed by the House of Representatives and
approved by the Senate committee on for
etgn relations. It is believed the pending
bill will become law.
Under the provisions of that bill the gov
ernmentS interested in the seal fisheries will
have to choose between an agreement to
some effective regulations for the control
of the seal fisheries, or the destruction of
the seal herd to such an extent that pelagic
sealing will no longer be profitable.
Effect of Enactment.
'"The result of the enactment of such a
law" said Senator Dillingham;, referring
to the bill introduced by him. will be one
Of two things. Either we shall secure rules
and regulations for pelagic sealing which
will not result in killing Off the herd, as is
now being done, or we will ourselves reduce
the herd on the islands to such an extent
that pelagfc sealing will no longer be suffi-
GENTLY profitable to warrant the fitting out
of expeditions for that purpose. Then the
herd can gradually be revived, and In the
meantime we can negotiate for such rules
and regulations as will permit 1t in the flu
ture to grow.
Last year three times as many seals
We're taken on the high seas as were secured
on the Pribilof Islands That fact shows
the terrible destruction that has taken place
with the seal herd. The English sealers OPP
crate within sixty miles of the Pribilof
Islands under agreement with us, but Jap
anese and Russian sealers go within three
marine miles of the islands, as we have no
agreement with them. AS a matter of fact
the japanese feet is largely made up of
Canadians and others, and there are very
few Japanese In it. The Russian fleet is
much smaller.
'The sentiment of Congress has practi-
eally been expressed on this subject. The
House has passed more stringent bill
than that proposed, and the Senate COM
mittee on foreign relations has approved it.
It is very plain that something must be
done to protect the seal fisheries or the spe-
cies will become extinct