The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-12
FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE
/ ON THE PRIBlL0f Islands
Secretary Of Commerce Submits Report
to Congress on Conditions Existing
Since Law Went INTO Effect to Pro
tect American Herd

Washington, D. c., March 12.-On
February II the Secretary of Commerce
transmitted to the Speaker of the
House of Representatives report of
the scientific assistants of the Bureau
of Fisheries on the 'sFur Seals and
Other Life on the Pribilof Islands in
1914" sending with it the following
communication to the Speaker:
81 transmit herewith for the infor.
nation of Congress a report of wilfred
Fl. Osgood, Edward A. Prebie and
George III. Parker scientific assistants
of the Bureau of Fisheries. on the fur
seals and other life on the Pribilof
Islands in 1914.
When the present Administration
took charge it found in full force and
vigor the existing law providing for a
closed season for the seal herd belong
ing to the United States on the Pribi.
lof Islands. This law was approved
August "a, 1912, effective immediate.
ly, and will expire by its own limita-
tion August "a, 1917.
1.-The department has felt that it
had two duties in this important mat
ter. The first was to enforce the law
in letter and in spirit, and this has
been done. The second was TO ascertain
from unprejudiced and dispassionate
sources the effects of the law and to
inform Congress about them as fully
as possible. This is now done.
"In view of the sharp controversy
that has existed on the subject of the
fur seal herd, it was deemed necessary
that the persons selected by the Bu-
reau of Fisheries as scientific assist
ants to study this problem should be
persons who were free from all previous
connection with the subject, but who
were qualified by training and expert
enee to determine and present the facts.
1t was required also that they should
be severally qualified to carry on as
separate individuals the particular
lines of scientific study necessary to n
full understanding of the problem.
Under these circumstances, the
president of the National Academy of
Sciences, the secretary of the Smithson
ian Institution and the Secretary of
Agriculture were requested to make
nominations of persons who might be
temporarily employed for the purpose.
mated Prof. George H. Parker, of Har-
ward University, Cambridge, Mass; !;
the secretary ot the Smithsonian Insti
tuition nominated Wilfred II. Osgood.
of the Field Museum of National His
tory, Chicago, ILL.,, and the Secretary
| of Agriculture nominated Edward A
Preble, of the Bureau of Biological
Survey, Department of Agriculture.
| The three persons named were selected
by the Department of Commerce and
employed by the Bureau of Fisheries
as temporary scientific assistants. and
were instructed to proceed to the Prib-
| ilof Islands, there to ascertain the facts
and 10 submit them to the department
for transmission to Congress. Full de-
tails are found in the attached report:
''As Great Britain, through the Do
minion of Canada, and JSpSn are tinan-
ciallv interested in the American seal
herd under the terms of the treaty
abolishing pelagic sealing, these coun-
tries also of their own motion arranged
! to send representatives to the Pribilof
Islands in 1914, and two experts from
Canada and one from Japan visited the
islands while our own inquiry was pro-
crossing. The facts concerning this
matter appear in full in rnc report.
1.-THE report is accompanied by three
large traced maps of the Pribilof Is
lands, of which blue prints have been
taken for the records of the depart
ment, and by p smaller maps Illus
trating the report in detail.
"The purpose of the department has
been to provide Congress with an un-
biased statement Of the actual facts
to assist it in the preparation of such
further legislation, if any, as it may
deem wise to enact. 1t is my earnest
hope that this has been accomplished. !"