stefansson-wrangel-09-08-025-001

Stefansson Arctic Exploration + Devel. Co

May 16, 1922.

Dear Taylor:-

This is in reply to your letter of May 10th.

Through my experience two years ago with the slowness of the
Ottawa authorities in making out a lease, I am a little worried about
the speed of the present negotiations. However, I have the best
assurance as you will see by the attached copies of two letters from
Mr. Finnie. As Mr. Finnie took this up at the instance of Mr.
Stewart and with the understanding that hurry was necessary I think
that we may have luck. The new broom may be sweeping clean and
Mr. King's machinery may be working more smoothly than Mr. Meighen's.
Let us hope so!

I suppose you may have seen something in the newspapers on
the 13th or 14th about the discussion in Parliament where Mr. Meighen's
questions brought out the answer from the Government that the Canadian
flag is now flying in Wrangle Island and they mean to keep it there.
I think the most interesting part of the discussion was the remarks
by Mr. Meighen and Mr. Guthrie which show that the former members of
the conservative cabinet are at one with the Government on this issue
at least.

My idea of the amount of money necessary is that we must
find almost as much this year as we used last. Of course we can
expect some return from the fur catch of Wrangel Island. I shall be
well satisfied if Crawford's party gives us $10,000 worth of fur.
This will mean that all the money that is now in the enterprise will
have to stay in it, and for the present year, we shall have to find
a little more than we will get from the furs. The trouble is that
we shall have to spend our money before anything comes from the
fur. We shall then need $10,000 at least this year, and probably
more.

Since you are coming East, I shall not go into any of the
details of how we can operate more cheaply in the future. That this
can be done there is of course no doubt.

I think it might prove the best business to sublet the trap-
ping rights of the island to some subject company such as the Hudson's
Bay Company, or H. Lieves and Company of San Francisco - or possibly