The daily Alaskan., 1908-03-09
ALASKA AN ASSET TO THE GOVERNMENT

The statement otthe receipts and lex penditure for Alaska for the year 1907, as issued by the treasury department, is somewhat misleading. The state- meut shows that Alaska received from the general government the sum of st. 5S3 6O9 and that the treasury received from Alaska ouly s5ll ,692,
 The expenses of the courts Ire shown to be s4Sl, l,9ll.5S, but no accOuut;rg is made for the amount of money taken in by courts iu fees. The expenses of the military telegraph and cable liUes are charged against Alaska to the extent Of S2O9 OH .55, but DO credit is given the territory for the amount which has been paid to the government for sending pri- vste messages over the line. A state ment made by General Allen, chief of signal corps service. shows that since the establishment of the Alaska tele- graph system, the department has ex- pended in all for construction and maiu- tenance, s369, 900, and has received dur ing that same period for private mes sages sent over the line and exclusive Of government business, which is trans acted ID. H," S6J7 500, all of which has been paid uto the public treasury leaving a profit of S23S, 900 to the gov erumeu, after the cost of construction has been fully paid. General Allen male this statement in request that su sddi. ioual s2OO,OOO be appropriated for the purpose of extending the tele- graph lines.
 Anotber item which Is charged against Alaska is the expense of rev enue vessels, SI32. 2.4Sl. AS these ship, are iu Alaskan waters for only abou, four mohths in the year, and even then are only of service for junketli-g ex- penditious, this amount should be cut down three fourths. Another item which attracts some attention is s5I,- 472 2l charged to salaries, etc., office of governor" This includes the salsr- ies of judges, U. S. marshsls and clerks Of the courts, but notwithstanding this, the ''expeuse of U, s. courts" item Is entered up with a charge against 1t of s4SL9L5S. These items, if properly accredited, would make a great differ euce in the showing of Alaska for the year just past.
 The statement of the treasury de- partmeut for the fiscal years 1868 to 1907, inclusive, shows that the govern ment has taken from Alaska more than has been expended iu the territory. The actual amount received, according to this statement, was slO, O,ISl, ,774.73, while the amount paid out was slO, ,3O3,- 437 80. This statement, however. makes no estimate of the assets in Alaska owned by the government. For instance, the sum of s935,45S has been expended, according to the statement, iu the construction of telegraph and cable lines. The telegraph system is worth today every dollar the goveru- msns has paid for i,, and if 1t were turned over to a private corpOratiouto- morrow, it would pay handsome divi- deuds on the amount invested. It has paid the government about 34 per cent profit ove, and above the cost of con- structiou, and if the government mes sages had been charged for the profits | would be at least twice as great. The government hss other valuable assets iu Alaska, among which may be includ- ed buildings to the value of sl36, 900, military roads and trails worth sI00,0OO, fog and light signal stations worth over sl5O,OOO, reindeer worth about s50,OO0, military Doss worth from s5O,OOO to S75,OOO, to say nothing of a couple of revenue steamers, the value of the Alaska boundary survey, the Indian schools, the money expended ln the protection of the fishing industry, the timber enclosed in forest reservation and the cOsl lauds which have been withdrlwn froru en ry.