West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-10-08


Dollars from EIkIns and Others
Accommodation Procedure
Against Such Other Person. es
May be implicated 10 Urged
George N. Bowers Stated In o.
fIeIal Report to Have Permitted Kill
ing and Favored New Sealing Lease
Washington, Oct. 3.-The Alaska fur
seal scandal and the connection with il
oil George VI. Bowers. former commission
er OF fisheries till he was asked by Presi.
dent wilson's secretary OF commerce to
resign, have been made the subject of
exhaustive Congressional investigation.
The House committee on expenditures
in the Department of Commerce, OF
which Hon. John II. Rothermel of Penn
sylvania, is chairman, had extended
hearings on the subject, extending from
Oct. 10, 1913, TO March -, 1914.
The charges fled in connection with
the case allege that agents OF the govern
ment have conspired with the lessees OF
the seal islands TO take seals in violation
OF the law and the provisions of their
contract; and that the lessee company
had secured lease from the government
by fraud and perjury.
After hearings which lasted over
period of five months, the committee
reached conclusion and made its re-
port, covering nine findings of fact and
making recommendations. The findings
OF fact, briefly summarized, are as fol-
lows:
l. That when the seal herd was leased
to the Alaska Commercial company for
twenty years from May l, 1870, the herd
consisted Of about 4, zoo, 900 seals. Dur
ing the period of this lease the lessee de-
rived net profit of SIS, 1853, 9l1. 20, while
the net profits of the government were
but 50, 264, 23O.0S.
2. That when a new lease was con-
cluded with the North American Com
mercial company in 1890 the herd had
been reduced to about 1000, 00O seals;
that the new company had great difficulty
in obtaining its first quota in 1890 and
commenced to kill female seals and year
hngs, which is now and was then pro-
hibited by law and by the regulations of
the Department; that this fact was re-
ported to the officials but that no steps
were taken to stop it but that the agent
who made the report was Immediately
removed and assigned to other duties;
that the seals were 80 killed that i'm 1910
the number on the islands did not exceed
l33, 900; that the lessees i'm the 20 years
OF their lease derived net profit of APP
proximately 5000, 900, while the govern
ment, after paying the expenses of
managing the seal herd sustained cash
loss of more than 1880, 900; that the
record OF the 40 years of leasing the is
lands discloses that the government has
suffered property loss of not less than
$50, 100000, caused 10y the almost COM
plete ruin of the seal herd, while the net
revenue of the government for 40 years
amounted to but approximately $3,9l4,-
900.
3. That the lease made in 1890 with
the North American Commercial COM
pany was obtained by fraud, in part
having consisted in the filing of a false
affidavit. That bond was filed in the
sum OF 5000, 900 on which Stephen b.
Elkins was one of the sureties.
4. That in spite of the record of the
company in decimating the seal herd,
George NJ. Bowers and others recon-
mended to the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor that he enter into another
lease OF the islands for 20 years more,
but this was prevented and the affairs on
the islands were placed under the direct
supervision of the Secretary OF Commerce
and Labor.
o. That the lessee company took 1885,
600 yearling seals in violation of the law
during the term of their lease.
q. That the leasing company, in con-
junction and connivance with the govern
ment agents on the islands, killed yearl.
ing seals and added sufficient blubber i'm
skipning the ANIMALS so as to bring the
skin weights within the regulations.
Z. That the taking of seals from the
islands under the direction OF the Secretary
OF Commerce and Labor from 1910 to
1912 was conducted in the same manner
and by the same officials as in the latter
years OF the leasing company; that an
agent was sent to the islands to investigate
and make report; that he reported that
the law was being violated and that no
seal was too small to be killed; that this
report was disregarded and another one
substituted denying that seals we're being
killed Illegally; and the illegal killing of
seals was continued, 1875 yearlings being
killed in 1910.
8. That regulations az to the weight
OF skins are futile, as the weight can be
increased by the addition of blubber in
skinning; that the records of the Bureau
OF Fisheries during the lease Of the seal
ing company and subsequently were
made by skin weights and not by skin
measurements, as should have been done.
9. That Stephen y. Elkns and others
were members of the leasing company
that two members Of the company were
engaged in pelagic sealing, which would
have barred them from the sealing con-
tract If it had not been sworn to tina,
they were not so engaged that the lessees
had full knowledge Of the illegal killing
OF yearlings and female seals and divided
the profits from the same.
In view Of the findings Of fact, the