The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-07-11
ALASKAN NOTES
Until Recently Reports We're
Very Meager.
Population Has More Than Doubled
Since the Purchase of Alaska
From Russia.

treasury. bureau of statistics for.publi-
cation in the.H.forthcoming issue. of.. the
Monthly Summary. --..In-..this, the
commercial conditions. Opportunities
and prospects in Alaska. ARE ..set forth,
the number of industries at the.present
time, the routes ..Eof 49, travel. 1.-THE
methods of reaching that .once.. distant
but now accessible territory, land: "a
standardization of the commercial.sand
financial results of ownership. .of THAT
territory by the United States. 1 1.- -
This statement is presented at the
present moment both by reason of the
growing interest in Alaska and es-
pecially because of the fact that the
bureau of statistics is to publish in
future monthly statements of the COM
MERGE of Alaska with ports of the
United States Heretofore no detailed
statistics of commerce with Alaska
have been .obtainsble because OF the
fact that no provision of law existed
for the collection of statistics of COM
mercce between customs districts of
the United States and as Alaska was
by law customs district such statis-
tics could not be gathered, under the
law.
When the Hawaiian Islands and
Porto Rico were also made customs
districts of the United States and the
collection of statistics of our COM
mercce with those islands was rem
dered impracticable, measure pro-
viding forr the collection of statistics
of trade between the United States
and all of its non-contiguous terri
tories was framed by the bureau OF
statistics approved by the secretary OF
the treasury, sent toscongress, passed,
and signed by the president; and be-
ginning with the new fiscal year the
record of trade between the United
States and all of its noncontiguous
territory will be available in form
similar to that of commerce between
the United States and foreign coun-
tries.
The fact that statistical statements
of commerce and conditions of Alasks
have not been regularly made in the
past renders the attempt to present 6
picture of present conditions il
Alaska difficult one. Necessarily the
information is fragmentary. Asid,
from the statistics of population pub
lished by the census, and statement
of the number of fur seals taken BY
the lessees of the Pribil of islands, thu
number OF cans of salmon packed, ant
the number of fish taken as reported
by the special agent Of the treasur.
department., and the statements o
gold production reported by the Min
Bureau, little information of stats
tical nature is available. Even thes,
reports are extremely meager and il
most cases the statements are simpl'
those of quantity unaccompanied b.
estimates of value.
The shipments of merchandise be
tween the United States and Alask
have been considered as coastwis
commerce and no reports Of the valu
of merchandise so transported hav
been made to the collectors while i
many cases the manifests are so in
definite in statements of quantity tina
it has been found difficult to obtai
satisfactory estimates in detail of tn
movements Of merchandise into an
out of Alaska. The fuctuation i
price Of the seal and other furs an
the salmon and other fish. which nav
been, until recent years, the chief in
dustries Of Alaska, coupled with til
fact that in the official reports onl
Quantities were stated, have in th
past rendered detailed statements c
values year by year difficult. Tn
statements which are presented as t
the industries and their result from
financial standpoint are the result c
careful inquiries from collectors G
customs both in Alaska and the Unite
States by the various governors c
Alaska and their subordinates and b
the special agents of the government
appointed to report upon the variou
industries.
In general terms it may be sal
that Alaska, for which the Unite
States paid Russia 81, 20O 600 in 1885,
has supplied furs, fish and gol
amounting to about $3.50, 900, 900 i
value, about equally divided betwee
these three items; that the investmer
of capital from the United States i
Alaska are probably $25, 600, 600 wit
a large additional sum invested
transportation to that territory; an
that the annual shipments of mel
chandise to Alaska now aggregat
more than $12. 900, 900 and have as
gregated since the purchase nearly {
, !quite 500, 600, 000 Meantime tt
, population has grown from an est
E mated 80, 900 at the date of purchas
3 to 80, O52 in 1890, SO, 500 in 1900, an
t an estimated 70 900 at the preser
time.
q The number of fur seals taken O
the Phibil of Islands from 1870 to 19(
, is 2, 1877, 81, estimated value, $53
600, 600, and the value of the seal an
t other furs taken since the purchase {
Alaska by the United States is est
mated at about $50, 600, 900. The fu
seal industry, which has declined
the last few years, was succeeded
: the fishing industry, Alaska no,