The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-01
U. s. COLONIAL TRADE.

Trade of the United States with it's
-noncontiguoas territories will approx
mate 40 million dollars in the year
which ends next month. Ten years ago
the trade with the same territories
amounted to approximately 60 million
dollars, the increase during the decade
having thus been nearly 200 per cent?
During the same period the trade with
foreign countries has increased less
than so per cent. These interesting
facts are conveyed in a bulletin recent
ly issued by the bureau of statistics Of
the department of commerce and labor
and prove conclusively that the colonial
possessions of the United States are of
considerable material value to the bust
ness interests of this country.
This estimate of a grand total of ITO
millions as the value of the commerce
between the United States and its non
contiguous territories is based upon the
ten months returns compiled, which
show 50 million dollars in value of ship
ments to the United States from those
territories and So million dollars value
of shipments from the United States to
those territories; while for the single
month of October, the latest available
record, the shipments to the United
States amounted to liz million dollars
and from the United States to the ter
ritories in question over millions.
Curiously one of the smallest of these
noncontiguous territories, both as to
population and area, furnishes the
largest amount of trade. OF the 80 mil
lion dollars worth of merchandise
reaching the United States from it's
four principal noncontiguous territories
Porto Rico Hawaii, the Philippine
islands, and Alaska-4015 million dol
lars worth, or practically one-half of
the total. was from Hawaii; % % mil
lion dollars worth from Porto Rico;
101k millions from Alaska, and s mill
lions from the Philippine islands, these
figures being, as above indicated, for
the ten months ending with October,
1908. OF the shipments from the United
States to those territories, Porto Rico
receives a larger amount than any
other of the group, the value of the
merchandise sent from the United
States to Porto Rico in the ten months
being, in round terms, Is million dol
lars; to Alaska, practically IA millions;
to Hawaii, 12A millions, and to the
Philippines, S1A millions. The total
trade of the year with each of these
four principal noncontiguous territories
seems likely to be: With the Hawaiian
islands, approximately 65 million dol
lars; with Porto Rico, As millions; with
the Philippine islands, about 20 mil
lions. and with Alaska, approximately
40 millions.
What are the articles forming this
trade of 40 million dollars per annum
between the United States and its nom
contiguous territories? In the case of
Porto Rico the merchandise sent to the
United States is chiefly sugar, tobacco,
and fruits; and the merchandise sent
from the United States in exchange is
chiefly rice, meats, breadstuffs, cotton
goods, manufactures of iron and steel,
and miscellaneous articles. From the
Hawaiian islands the shipments to the
United States are chiefly sugar, and the
merchandise sent to those islands in
exchange is chiefly breadstuffs, meats,
iron and steel manufactures, cotton
cloth, mineral oils, manufactures of to-
bacco and manufactures of wood. From
the Philippines the shipments to the
United States are chiefly hemp and
sugar, while the merchandise sent to
the Philippines in exchange includes
manufactures of iron and steel. cottons,
breadstuffs, and mineral oils. From