The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-01
ALASKA AS AN INVESTMENT.

The commerce of Alaska during the
fiscal year which ends with this month
seems likely to aggregate over twenty
millions of dollars, exclusive of gold
: The Treasury Bureau of Statistics is
|, now collecting and publishing monthly
statements of the shipments of mer-
chandise TO and from Alaska. This in
formation is now being collected under
: an Act recently passed by Congress at
the Recommendation of the Bureau of
Statistics. giving it authority to collect
: statistics Of the commerce between the
United States and it's noncontiguous
; territory. Under it's operations the
value of the merchandise passing from
the United States into Alaska and from
Alaska to the various ports OF the
United States is now for the first time
presented.
The figures of shipments from the
ports of the United States to Alaska
during the ten months ending with
April, 1903, aggregate s6,SS1,070 of mer-
chandise, and s104,359 of gold and silver
coin. During the month of April the
total shipments of merchandise to |
Alaska amounted to s2,5S1, 7S4; and as
the opening months of the season are
those of heavy shipments to Alaska, IL
is quite apparent that the total ship
ments to Alaska during this first fiscal
year in which their value is measured.
will aggregate between ten and twelve
million dollars. A similar statement OF
the shipments from Alaska to the
United States which is also published,
shows the total value for ten months
to be 1O,1O1 $50 of merchandise. In ad-
dition to this, the shipments of gold ore
from Alaska, produced in United States
territory, amount to s4,369,496. The ship
ments of foreign gold ore from Alaska
during the period, by which is meant
that from the Klondike Canadian ter
ritory reaching the United States
through Alaska aggregates for the same
period, $40, 972,454.
By far the most important of the art1-
les shipped from Alaska to the United
states is canned salmon, the value of
which during the ten months ending
With April, 1908, was IS, 4O1 ,124, or more
ntire sum paid for Alaska in 1867, the ]
um paid for the territory having been
Z, 200, 900. The next largest items in the n
hipmentls from Alaska are: other fish II
nd fish products, s751, 1884; furs and fur "a
kins, 1894, $50; whale-bone. $115.994, and 81
Upper, s1O0,513 The shipments to e
Alaska are naturally of an extremely l.
aried character, including provisions, p
lothing, and materials for use of 'e
miners and those engaged in the can
ing industry. The largest single item
) manufactures of iron and steel, ST. e
16, 6O4, of which S730,61S is tin plates q
nd sheets, chiefly for use in manufac- =
uring cans for the salmon canneries. 4
yext in order are: provisions, S71S,273 II
of which 1854 was butter); manu-
actures of wood, including lumber,
$50, 454; manufactures of tin, $440,O11
readstuffs, 1898, 1892; wines and liquors, A
lSs, $3.50; coal, s172,O32; fruits and nuts,
III, Sol; cotton manufactures, s129, 1872;
nd eggs, s12S,S47. -
In addition to the above commerce be- NJ
ween Alaska and the other districts of 4
he United States, there is a total of V
461, $50, imports of foreign merchandise 81
nto Alaska during the ten months end m
ng with April, of which $44S,921 was e.
rom Canadian territory, s10,776 from /,
England, and $1,S73 from Asiatic Rus 6,
ia; also 1897, 1917 of exports, all of IL
hitch went to Canadian territory. d