Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-11

: FUR SEALS ON THE PRIBILOF .
ISLANDS. .


Washington. ID. g.. Mar. 1I.-On Feb
ruary IL the secretary of commerce
transmitted 10 the speaker OF the house Of
representatives report Of the scientific
assistants Of the bureau II fisheries GA
the fur seals ami other life on the Pribi
LOT Islands IN 1911. sending with il the
following communication "a the speaker:
Il transmit herewith for the infurma-
tion oi congress a report of Wilfrcd IL.
OSgood. Edward a. prcblc. and George
III. Parker. scientific assistants ~ the
bureau of fisheries. ON the fur seals and
other life oil the pribilof Islands in 1914
When the present administration
took charge II found ia full force and
vieor the existing law providing for a
closed season for The seal herd belonging
u the United States on the Pribilof Is
lands. This law was approved August
II. 1912. effective immediately. and will
expire by its own Limitation August -.
1917.
The department has felt that il had
two duties in this important matter.
The first was 10 enforce the law in letter
m d ia spirit and this has been done.
The second was 10 ascertain from unprrl
udicei and. di>paSsionatr sources the AZ
lcctS Of The law and ~ inform congress.
about hem H. fully a. possible. This i>
now done.
In view of the sharp controversy that
has existed on the subject III the fur seal
herd il was deemed necessary that the
persons elected by the bureau IF fisher
les ~ scientific assistants to study this
problem should be persons who were fIgt.
from all previous connection with the
subject but who were qualified IN train.
ing and experience Ia determine ami pre-
sent the facts. II was required also THAT
they should b. ScVcrallv qualified 40 car
~ ON a. separate Individuals the partic-
ular lines ~ scientific study necessary TIT
Il full understanding of the problem.
Under these circumstance, the prn>i-
dent of the National Academy 0f Sciru.
ce>. the secretary az the Smithsonian IU.
Sitution. and the secretary of agriculture
were requested 10 make nominations oi
persons who might III temporarily cm
ploNcd for the purpose. The National
Academy of Sciences nominated Prof.
George II. Parker. Of Harvard Inivcr
sity. Cambridge. Mass; the secretary NJ
the smithsonian Institution nominated
Wilfrul III. OSgn0d. oi the Field Museum
LII @NNAlifAlti llf>tffIA. v III tENE III. IiitA
the secretary If Agriculture nominated
Edward \. Prcble. of the bureau Of bio
logical survey. department If agricul
turr. Thc three persons named were ~r
lcctcd bv the department If commerce
and employed hv the bureau of fisheries
AZ temporary scientific assistants. and
were instructed Ia proceed AZ the prihilnI
Islands. here 10 as criain the facts and
submit thrcto the department for trans
mission f. congress. Full details are
found in The attached report.
AS Great Britain. through tn DO.
minion Of Canada. and Japan are fnan.
ciallv interested i'll the American seal
herd under the terms Of the treaty abol.
ishing pclagic scaling. these countries al
- uf their own motion arranged IA send
y representatives a. the Prihiluf Islands
in 1911. and two experts from Canada
and u from Japan visited the islands
while our own inquiry was progress ug.
The facts concerning this matter appear
IN full the report.
The report il accompanied IN three
large traced mans Of the Prihilof ~
lands, Of which blue prints have hcru
taken for the records of the apartment
and bv Il smaller maps illustrating the
report in detail.
The purpose Of the Department has
been 10 provide congress with I'M nnhia~.
crl statement of the actual fact, tn assist
II IN the preparation of such further Ice
iSlation. if any. ~ il may deem wise ga
enact. III Is my earnest hope that this
has been accomplished"