The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-16

breeding females with like number of young. The aggregate strength of the herd according to these fig ures did not include the seals killed in each of the years named.
 ''In February, 1921, the department entered into contract with the Fouke Fur Co.,. of St. Louis, for handling the Alaska sealskins. This is the only company in the United States fully equipped for dressing and dyeing large numbers of seal skins in a manner equal to the best practices of the fur trade, and the department is glad to be able to lend support to this newly established American business During the fiscal year 1921 two public auction sales if finished sealskins were conducted at St. Louis; 20,180 dressed, dyed and machined skins were disposed of; the gross proceeds of the sales were s715,404, and the net proceeds 1 $342,70129. The department has de- posted in the United States Treas ury the sum of $s9,9S354. represent ing the net proceeds of the sale of sealskins during 1921. and in addi- tion thereto has paid to the govern ments of Great Britain and Japan the sum of $31.825.35 each, represent ing their shares under the sealing convention of July 7, 1911.
 FOX FARM VALUABLE
 Another valuable natural re- source of the Pribilof Islands, is a herd of blue foxes, which are prac- tically dependent for food on the carcasses of seals killed for their belts. Under the careful handling the herd is now receiving, the num- her of animals has steadily increased and the yield of skins has become larger than ever before under gov- ernment auspices. The fox belts taken during the winter of 1919-2o, numbering 901 blues and 37 whites, were sold at public auction in St. Louis in February, 1921, for $SO,699. During the winter of 1920-21, after an ample breeding reserve had been released. the departments agents took 1.125 blue foxes and IA white foxes whose skins will be sold in due course.
 "The 325 native inhabitants of the Pribilof Islands are government wards and dependent for their very existence on the food, shelter, fuel and clothing provided for them by the department They are likewise furnished medical service and school facilities; and in general exhibit sat isfactory mental, physical and mate- rial progress. They have cred'tably performed the work required of 1 them in connection with sealing, foxing and other operations, and are given every opportunity to become Iself-reliant and supporting to the full extent permitted by their en- vironment. In transporting the an nual supplies required on the Prib- ilof Islands for the maintenance ot the natives and the government of ficials and their families and for the management of the seal and fox herds, the department has had the invaluable assistance of the Navy Department The radio tender Saturn made two trips to the islands with freight and passengers. and also carried to Seattle the seasons take of seal and fox skins. Vessels of the Coast Guard likewise rendered useful service in transporting supplies.
 SUGGESTS COMMISSION
 'In view of mutual international pecuniary interests in the various seal herds of the North Pacific Ocean and Boring Sea, under the terms of the convention signed at Washington on July 7, 1911, an in spection of the Alaskan, Japanese and Russian seal rookeries by a properly constituted international commission would be desirable, to ascertain the present conditions and to place the respective governments in possession of information on which to base future action for the