New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-16
THE COMMERCE. OF ALASKA.
ABOUT ONE-HALF THE SALMON or lhH
COUNTRY is SUPPLIED BY THAT
TERRITORY.

1,-osb,o.+op June Is (specaD.-'Commercial
Alaska in 1902 IS the title of monograph pre-
nsred by the Treasury Bureau OF StatlsucS Io' pu
Iication in the forthcoming issue OF me Ni'''-'
summary In this the commercial conditions op-
nortunities and prospects in Alaska are set iorl"'
49,, -,,r,be- IF Industries at the present time the
routes of travel the methods Of reaching that once
distant but now accessible Territory ana d S",i
riza+ior Of the commercial and financial results VI
ownership Of that Territory by the United states
This statement is presented at the present Hloieil
t.t, -, reason of tho growing interest in Alaska
and especially because Of the fact that 'he hHie'
of Statistics publish In future fnohthIE S'"'
- - The commerce Of Alaska with ports OF
the United States Heretofore no detailed
of commerce with Alaska have been ohtaihH"'e
hecase Of the fact that provision OF law existed
for the collection of statistics of commerce
customs districts Of the United states; and as
Alaska was by law customs district. such status
tics could not be gathered under the law. Nheh
,bo Hawaiian Islands and Porto Rico were also
made customs districts Of the United states anu
the collection statistics OF commerce WIN those
islands was rendered mpraCticaole a measure pro-
,-iding for the collection of statistics OF trade pc
tween the United States and all or Its nonCohus
,,o,s Territories was framed by the Bureau OF S'a-
ttstics approved by the Secretary Of the treasury
sent to Congress passed and signed by the ffesi-
d+. ard beginning with the fiscal year the
record Of trade between the United states ana al
of It's non-contiguous territory will he available IN
form similar to that Of commerce between the
United States and foreign countries
The fact that statistical statements Of the com
merce and conditions Of Alaska have not beeh reg
uIarI, made in the past renders the attempt TO
nrasent a r,cture Of present conditions In Alaska
difficult one Necessarily the information Is frag-
mentary Aside from the statistics or populau"h
published by the census, and statements OF 'He
number of fur seals taken by the iessees Of the
Prihvlof Islands the number of cans OF salmon
hacked and the number of fish taken as reported
by the special agent of the Treasury Department.
and the of gold production reported py
the Mint Bureau little Information of statistical
nature is available. Even these reports are eX-
tremely meagre, and in most cases the statements
simply those Of quantity unactonpdiiieu by 10y
| between the United States and Alaska have been
considered cOastwise commerce and no reports
been made to the collectors. while In many cases
he st It has BEEN found difcGlt to otan
sfactory estimates IN detail OF the movements of
merchandise into and out of Alaska The iuctua-
tion in prices of the seal and other furs and the
salmon and other fish, which have been until re.
Alaska coupled with the fact that in the official
| by year difficult. The statements which are pre-
a financial point of view the results Of care
fu inquiries from COLLECTORS OF customs oo'G IN
ernors Of Alaska and their subordlnates ana py
I Ihe SPe Gnnn ZEE various industries
In general terms 1t may be said that Alaska, for
| which the United States paid Russia $4,000 in
1857 has supplied furs fish and gold amounting to
about sl5OOooGoo in value about equally dltide4
three items. that the investments or
CAPITAL from the United States IN Alaska prob
ably S25 100000 with large additional sum invested
in TRANSFORMATION that Territory and that the an
nual shipments of merchandise 10 Alaska now
aggregate more than s2OO0c00. and have aggregated
since the purchase nearly or quite Soo0o0N Mean,
time the population has grown from an estlmat ted
20 On at the purchase to 800 in 1890 90 So
in 9n0 and an estima 1900 at the present time
The number fur seals taken the Pribylof ISL
ands from 1870 1901 is 2181.37 ESTIMATED value
S2 OH0) and value of the seal and other furs
taken since the purchase of Alaska by the United
states is estimated about s3Oooo0oo The fur seal
Industry which has declined in the last few years,
was succeeded by the fishing industry, Alaska now
| supplying about one-haf of the salmon OF the
| country The value of the salmon pack In Alaska
last wear is estimated about S7,0000e0, and the
total value Of the fish taken In Alaska since the
purchase about $5oo000o. while the value of gold
and silver mined since the purchase is also about