The San Francisco call., 1907-01-16
SEALING COMPANY
DENIES CHARGES
North American Commercial
Says 1t Has Kept Faith
With the Government
REPLIES TO ELLIOTT

At the offices of the North American
Commercial Company positive denial
was made yesterday of the charges
preferred in Washington by Professor
II. w. Elliott to the effect that the San
Francisco company had violated its
lease by engaging in pelagic sealing in
Alaskan waters.
The charge is false" said President
ii. H. Taylor. The company has never
engaged in pelagic sealing. We secured
our lease after competitive bidding
and we have adhered strictly to its
terms Only the surplus male seals are
killed, and this is done under the su
pervision Of Federal agents"
1t is asserted by officers of the COM
pany that Elliott is an agitator and
makes his charges with nothing to sub
stantiate them. 1t is claimed that he is
discredited in official circles. The COM
pany has letters from Elliott, its Of
fcers assert, in which he speaks in the
highest terms of the manner in which
the corporation has conducted its bust
ness. His sudden change of front is not
understood.
TERMS OF THE LEASE
The Northern Commercial succeeds to
the leases formerly held by the Alaska
Commercial Company. In 1870 the
Alaska Commercial Company after COM
petitive bidding was given exclusive
sealing rights by the Government on
the Pribyloff Islands. in Bering Sea.
Under the lease and the treaty with
Great Britain the company was not to
engage in pelagic sealing, which means
sealing on the open sea. The Alaska
Commercial Companys lease expired in
1890. In that year il was awarded to
the Northern Commercial Company, to
run for twenty years. II will therefore
not expire until 1910 The two compa-
Tevis, Hermann and Isaac Liebes and
other prominent business men of San
Francisco and New York
W. H. Elliott, a former agent of the
Treasury Department, has made charges
before Congressional committee.
claiming that the Northern Commercial
Company has violated its agreement
by sending out pelagic expeditions and
intriguing with Herbert II. ID. Peirce,
United States Minister to Norway, who
farmerly was Third Assistant Secretary
of State.
H. II. Taylor the representative of
d. O. Mills and president of the North
ern Commercial Company, said that he
had heard nothing from the company's
representative in the East beyond the
fact that the charges had been brought.
Taylor pointed out that the charges
were based upon matters alleged to
have occurred from six TO twenty years
ago. He said that if Elliott had any
foundation for his charges he would
have brought them forward before
this. AS il is, several of the men ac-.
cused have been dead many years.
ROLE PLAYED BY ELLIOTT
Elliott went first to the Pribyloffs in
1872 and again in 1874 as a representa-
tive Of the Treasury Department. He
next visited the sealing grounds in 1876
as a guest of the company. OF this
visit it is pointed out that Elliott has
made no mention in his various writ
ings. In 1890 Elliott made another
trip to the islands for the Government.
After this his official connection with
the Government and the sealing indus
try lapsed, as far as is known. Elliott.
nevertheless. paid occasional visits to
the Pribyloffs and wrote books on the
sealing question. He took a deep in
terest in the sealing controversy be-
tween England and America. which was
settled by treaty drawn up in Paris.
1t is claimed that Elliott's part in this
matter was not greatly to his credit.
Elliott was in some manner connect
ed with the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington. and through his writings
came into conflict with President Jor-
dan of Stanford
That Elliotts opposition TO the North
American Commercial Company is not
of recent date is attested by the follow
ing. which appeared in the Washington
letter Of the Fur Trade Review under
date of January %, 1905:
The most active agitator throughout this cpl
sode last winter Henry ". Elliott. who.
for reasons best known 20 himself. has for sew
eral years endeavored 10 secure the passage Of
a bill to destroy the business of the North
American Commercial Company under their con
tract with the Government for the taking OF
seals On the Pribyl0n Islands.
Elliotts home is in Cleveland where
he owns considerable property.
BODY OF JAMES STANLEY