Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1908-04-09
VOL. XXI
THE SOUTH'S CREDIT
An Effort Is In Vogue to Place
Credit Elsewhere Fo, What
Our Own People Have
Accomplished.

Northern newspapers a disposition to
coquet with the West and especially
the Pacific coast region, which may
we'll cause the alert in that region to
seek the underlying motive for these
long delayed overtures, and what it is
that their new friends want.
Said the New York Sun recently
''The people ofthe United States long
ago recognized that Stewards Folly,
as Alaska was sometimes called in the
decade or two after it's purchase from
Russia in 1867, was a ridiculous mis-
nomer. merely rejecting the folly and
shortsigh tedness Of those who applied
it. In reality the purchase of Alask
tor a mere bagatelle-$7, 200, 900 in gold
was one of the greatest strokes of
states manship In the story of American
expansion by peaceful acquisition.
What is perhaps not so we'll known is
that even in its present comparatively
undeveloped state, Alaska is by no
meaps an insignificant factor in our
national assets. AS shown by the re-
cent report of Clarence Hobart, Col1ec-
tor of Customs for Alaska, our north
ernmost territory compares most favor
ably in the matter Of the total volume
of it's business with that of our insular
possessions. The figures for the last
month OF 1907 are not yet availa BILE,
but estimating the business for that
month on a basis of the preceding
monthly average the Philippine Isl
ands and Porto Rico did total tradein
1907 of S67 ,s21 1884 and $57, ,507 ,Sos. re-
spectively, while Alaska's total for the
same period is $49, ,425, $3.50. Eliminating
the foreign trade Gand taking account
only Of receipts and shipments to and
from the United States, Alaska makes
a still Ibetter showing, its total fo4
1907 being $45, ,609, ,947, while the Phil
ippines are credited with only S23 ,oO0,-
900 and Porto Rico with $40 500, 900. 1t
must be remembered also that while
Porto Rico and the Philippines are old,
settled lands whose resources, especial
ly in the case of the former, are well
known and fairly developed, Alaska
is new country, whose principal de-
tOCShA -
more than a decade.
'sTaking the list of shipments in de-
tail, the principal items OF Alaska s
business embrace copper ore;fsh, cured
and canned; fish guano, fish oil, furs,
gypsum, tin ore and concentrates, w hale
bone, gold ,and miscellaneous merchan-
disc to the amount of S73O,856. OF
these principal products canned sal
mon was shipped to the value OF S7,-
721, ,749, and copper ore and matte to
the value of 81 ,539, 1905 while the larg-
est item in the list, gold, amounted to
S11,o11 1892, decreasesof about 50 600,
600, as compared with the output OF the
preceding year. This decrease, how
ever, was due to strikes and la abor diff
cuIties, and the figures given also do
not include the gold shipped out by
mail.
'sIn the last ten years in round mum
bers Alaska has produced $265. ZOO, ,0OO
in gold. and good judges Esay that in
the next tenlyears at Eleast three times
that amount will be tax en- out by cans
of dredg ges, each of which represents a
labor force equivalent to the work OF
1000 men. Naturally miners and
prospectors are optimistic, and ii
must be admitted that in the case OF
Alaska they have good reasons for thei1
optimism. Alaskans confidently look
forward to the time when their coun-
try will lead South Africa in its yield
of gold.''
In view of past happenings, the sus-
picion may easily lie Ithat the concern
OF the Sun for the welfare Of the trade
of New York has been aroused by the
building of railways between Pacific
ports and Atlantic ports south of New
York, and the perception that trade il
likely soon to follow new channels land
folk and Savannah are to become pow
srful rivals for the trade heretofore en-.
joyed by New York inspired this sud.
den warming toward the West.
Especially noteworthy is the sly sug'
gestion that the Pacific coast is entitled
harbor improvement and the particu
larly kind mention of the Seattle Ex
position. Let not the Westener be elated
over either. The improvement of the
Pacific coast willa be the result of con
certed action between the South an6
West, the North and East no longer
ruling. Seattle also may take note O.
the fact that the Northern newspaper
at first kind to the Jamestown Exposi
ton ''knifed" it in it's time of need.