The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-16

Il Il Alaska have been obtain.
able because of the fact
that no provision of law existed for the
tween customs districts of the United
States; and as Alaska was by law q
customs district, such statistics could
not be gathered. under the law. When
the Hawaiian islands and Porto Rice
were also made customs districts OF
the United States and the collection OF
statistics of our commerce with those
islands was rendered impracticable, a
measure providing for the collection OF
statistics of trade between the United
States and all of it's non-contiguous
territories was framed by the Bureau
of Statistics, approved by the secretary
Of the treasury, sent to congress
PASSED, and signed by the president;
and beginning with the new fiscal year
the record of trade between the United
States and all of it's non-continguous
territory will be available in form SINH
lar to that of commerce between the
United States and foreign countries.
The fact that statistical statements
of the commerce and conditions OF
Alaska have not been regularly made in
the past, renders the attempt to pre-
sent picture of present conditions in
Alaska a difficult one Necessarily, the
information is fragmentary. Aside
from the statistics Of population pub
lished by the census, and statements OF
the number of fur seals taken by the
lessees of the Pribilof islands, the num-
her Of cans of salmon packed, and the
number of fish taken, as reported by
the special agent of the treasury de-
partment and the statements of gold
production reported by the mint bu-
reau, little information of a statistical
nature is available. Even these re-
ports are extremely meager, and in
most cases the statements are simply
those Of quantity unaccompanied by
estimates Of value. The shipments of
merchandise between the United States
and Alaska have been considered as
coastwise commerce and no reports of
the value of merchandise so trans
ported have been made to the collec-
tors; while in many cases the mani
tests are so indefinite in statements Of
quantity that it has been found difficult
to obtain satisfactory estimates in de-
tail of the movements of merchandise
into and out of Alaska. The fluctua-
tion in prices OF the seal and other
furs and the salmon and other fish,
which have been, until recent years,
tie chief Industries of Alaska, coupled
with the fact that in the official re-
ports only quantities We're stated, have
IN the past rendered detailed state
ments of values. year by year, difficult
The statements which follow as to the
industries and their result from a fl
pancial standpoint. are the results Of
careful inquiries from collectors of GUS
toms, both in Alaska and the United
States, by the various governors Of
Alaska and their subordlnates, and by
the special agents of the government
appointed to report upon the various
industries.
In general terms, it may be said that
Alaska, for which the United States
paid Russia s7,2OOO0O in 1867, has sup
piled furs, fish and gold amounting to
about $150OOO,000 in value, about equal
ly divided between these three items;
that the investments of capital from
the United States In Alaska are prob
ably s25,0O0,O00. with large additional
sum invested in transportation to that
territory; and that the annual ship
ments of merchadise to Alaska now
aggregate more than sl2,OOO,00O and
have aggregated since the purchase
nearly or quite Sl0O,00O,OOO. Meantime,
the population has grown from an esti-
mated 10000 at the date of purchase
to 32.O52 in 1890; 63,5S2 in 1900, and an
estimated 10000 at the present time.
The number of fur seals taken on the
Pribilof islands from 1870 to 1901 is,
'2,lS7,Sl7, worth s35OOO,0OO and the
value of the seal and other furs taken
,sipce the purchase of Alaska by the
United States is estimated at about
$5C ,o00, 900. The fur seal industry, which
has declined in the last few years, was
succeeded by the fishing industry, Alas
ka now supplying about one-half of the
salmon of the country. The value of
the salmon pack in Alaska last year is
estimated at about $7.000,000. and the
total value OF the fish taken in Alaska
since the purchase about S50, ,000, 900;
wh'A the value of gold and oliver mined