stefansson-wrangel-09-15-124-001

December 26, 1924.

Confidential

Dear Taylor:

As you know, the Hudson’s Bay Company went into the
reindeer enterprise in Baffin Island on my recommendation. As you know
equally well, they have since then ignored nearly every important point of
my advice. The enterprise now seems likely to fail but it is perfectly
clear that the only element at fault is the human factor - the business
has been handled partly by ignorant people in the wrong way and partly
by people definitely hostile who were anxious that it should fail, (the
fur traders in Baffin Island itself.)

This connects itself up with the Wrangel Island
affairs as follows: The Hudson's Bay Company were paying me a salary of
$3,000 a year as expert adviser but this salary could be terminated at
their option. I felt I really had the money coming from them because had
my advice been followed their enterprise would have been successful. In
other words, I was really worth what they were paying me. But I thought
these payments were probably being made to my account as a matter of
routine bookkeeping and I considered it just possible that if I asked for
a transfer of money from that fund to a checking account where I could pay
it out for Wrangel Island bills, this request might call their attention
to routine payments which they had forgotten and they might decide to stop
them. My plan then was to say nothing until they did. I have now heard
from them that they consider the payments ought to cease this December.
Immediately on hearing that I wrote them to transfer all the money coming
to me to my checking account at the Canadian Bank of Commerce, Ottawa.
Just as soon as I hear from them that the money has been transferred, I can
draw checks to clear up the Crawford indebtedness.

My general notion is, however, that all the money I
have should be used on the pro rata basis. I see no reason why the
Crawford's because they have been hostile in their attitude should be
treated as preferred creditors as against others who have lost as much in
every way and who have, nevertheless, been just and even generous.

In this connection I am writing you two separate
letters, one about the Maurer family and the other about the Crawford
claims.

A. J. T. Taylor, Esq.,
Bank of Hamilton Building,
Toronto, Ontario.