Douglas Island news., 1903-03-04

Prior to the opening Of the current
 fiscal year the government kept no
 systematic record of the domestic com
 merce of Alaska. It was recognized by
 we'll informed persons that this trade of the far northern territory, with oth-
 CT parts of the United States was large
 and valuable, but no attempt was made
 to collect the figures for publication by
 any single department of the govern ment. The treasury department has
 now completed the record of tie Alaska trade for the first six months of the current fiscal period-that. is, for the last half of the calendar year 1902. The result is fine showing for the great resources and the active develop ment of the territory.
 The grand total of commerce passing
 between Alaska ports and ports in other parts of the United States during the last six months of 1902 was S2S, S94. This, of course, takes no account of the foreign trade of the territory, which is larger than many persons sup
 pose. The treasury departments rec ord, just issued, gives the foreign trade of Alaska in the six months ended Dec. 31, s2,071,764, the exports being Sl,573,- 537 and the imports S49S,2 This for eign commerce, added to the domestic trade, raises the total Alaska commerce to S30, 0,792, ,65S. The foreign trade was of course, carried on chiefly with Brit ish Columbia ports.
 Ia the domestic commerce of Alas ka, there was an enormous balance of trade in favor of the territory. The figures, in fact, are convincing answer to the popular allegation that "more has been put into Alaska every year than has been taken out" The total value of merchandise and of gold and silver shipped from the United States to Alaska during the last six months of 1902 was s3,4lS,942. The total value of merchandise and of gold and silver shipped from Alaska to the United States during the same period was S24,- S9,1SS. The balance of domestic trade in favor of the territory is, therefore, s21, ,57O246.
 Some of the principal articles of merchandise, with the amounts thereof, carried into Alaska from other parts of the United States during the last six months of 1902 were as follows: Ami mals, S46,O55; breadstuffs, S217, ,l2s; chemicals, drugs, etc. 1863, ,795; coal, ST.: 593; cotton manufactures S79,751; eggs, S97 ,311; fruits and nuts, s12S,301; hay, S6O,771; iron and steel manufactures, S431 ,693, this item including, of course, a good deal of mining machinery; pro- visions, s449, ,575; malt liquors, S55,595; spirituous liquors, S95,S92; wine, s1O,- 2294; sugar, molasses and confectionery, ST ,221; tobacco, S14S,166 vegetables, Sl93, 3,59O; wood and manufactures of, S1S6, 6,29S; wool and manufactures of, Sl94,S13.
 A few of the principal articles ship ped from Alaska to other parts of the United States are: Salmon, SS,904, ,423; copper, s52,96S; fertilizers, s16,713; cod, haddock, etc., s22, ,S53; other fish, s55,365; iron and steel and manufactures of, S69, ,42S; whalebone, s1l5,994; manufac- lures of wood, s96322; other articles, s79,534. This list does not include all the articles of merchandise. To this record, also, must be added the ship ments of gold and silver, amounting, in the six months under discussion, to s1o,650.5S6.
 a maefiDO of tba baSeba1l DlaverS of