The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-06-10
HAWAII AND
ALASKA COMP AIRED
NORTHERN TERRITORY ENTG-
tiled TO AS MUCH SELF GOV
ERNMENT AS THE ISLANDS.

Since June last the treasury depart
ment has kept official records of the
trade between the United States and
its contiguous territories, includ-
ing Alaska. Prior to that time there
were no official data from which even
a guess could be made as to the exact
amount of goods entered or departed
from that TERRITORY save that which
came from or went to foreign coun-
tries. Here In Seattle, through which
place the great bulk of the trade with
Alaska was transacted there was a fair
idea DIS to it's magnitude. Elsewhere
in the country there was no knowledge
of the great Importance which the
trade with Alaska had assumed. With
the official records now kept for the
district the eyes of the people of the
whole United States will be open to the
magnitude and volume of the trade al
ready developed, and to the enormous
expansion of this trade which Will be
seen when the resources. of the vast
territory, now barely touched, really
commence to develop.
According to the official figures the
commence, which has passed between
the United States and Alaska during
the first nine months of the present
fiscal year has reached the enormous
aggregate of $15'177, 965. 1t is conser-
vatively estimated from this that for
the full fiscal year the aggregate will
be not less than 5000, 900. The amount
of commerce transacted between the
United States and Alaska is already in
excess of the commerce with the Unit
ed States of the Hawaiian Islands, of
Puerto Rico or of the Philippines.
So far as concerns its trade, the
great district of Alaska, in its present
stage of development, is worth more to
the United States than any other of its
non-contiguous possessions, and Ii
costs the country less. While the Phil
ippines present many problems the
solution of which is a task for the
wisest craftsmanship; and while the
islands contribute nothing to the fed
eral government they yet remain a
heavy burden upon It; Alaska Is taxed
for federal purposes more heavily than
any other portion of the territory over
which the American flag floats, and the
only serious problem presented in it's
government is the problem of how long
the congress of the United States will
refuse ito give to the white Americans
resident there a decent form of govern
ment in which the people themselves
have a right to participate
In Hawaii, with a white popula ton
ka, and with that white population in
a small minority as compared to the
natives and Asiatics, there is a full
territorial government in operation.
Neither in it's number of resident
whites, in it's pOtentialities for produce
ing wealth, nor, indeed, in it's volume
of present trade, is Hawaii the equal
of Alaska. Yet no one for a moment
proposed that Hawaii should be denied
a form of selfgovernment. On the
contrary, the effort was to see how
large a measure of liberty could be
given the dusky natives who compose
the bulk of the population.
The Filipino of mixed blood, the ne
gro of Puerto Rico the Kanaka of Ha-
wall have all been considered fully
qualified ito exercise some share in the
government of their own country. The
native American white citizens of Alas
ka, who have developed a commerce
worth more to the country than that of
any of the other non-contiguous terri
tories, are alone considered unfit to
exercise what is the prerogative of ev-
cry American citizen or subject else
Where.-Seattle observation-disclosures.