Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-08


Year was more than @10.Oo0,O00. 1t ex-
eeeded our total commerce with China
by more than $5,000,000 and was one-
'hlth rs large as our totaT trade with
all south America. The great part
of this was exports: but the imports
proportion to the white population it
was greater than that of any other
country of the world. The per capita
commerce was about sl,S00. with a
balance OF trade In favor Of each white
man OF over $500. Including the In
dams and Eskimos. the per capita com
merce was 1910. while that of Great
Britain was only si33. This means
that the trade Of Alaska was. on the
average. for every man. woman and
child. more than six times as great as
that for every man. woman and child
in Great Britain.
II this is SO when the land is Wild
waste SO covered with moss and other
vegetation that not one acre In 100
OF II has yet been prospectcd. and when
not one acre in 1000 has yet been
brought into cultivation, what may we
road and other developments Of the
future.
RETURNS .tRI; VAST
FROM THIS TERHlTONY
Indeed. Alaska is one of the best
business propositions under Uncle SANS
flag. Considering the amount OF money
invested and the hands employed, we
have nothing that produces such vast
returns The country has now less than
10000 people and Of these perhaps 40
900 are whites. This Includes men,
women and children, so that the work
Ing force is comparatively small. New
crthe less. the product in 1914 sold for
S4l.0o000O. of which more than S1S,O0O.-
900 came out Of the mines and more
M M nj R.l, Il SI,r-
During that year. the gold yield was
almost sl6.000.00O. while that of Cali
fornia, whose population is thirty-sevcn
times as great. was only little over
S2IOOO,C0e. The value OF the Alaska
fishery products was more than VII
600. OO0 while that OF the stats or
Washington brought in over SS.OOo.00o
The copper output in 1914 was less
than $4,000. 900, hut that was enormous
Is increased last year ana VIII De
doubled and trcbled In the years to
come.
As IN In, whole territory. by and
fargo. IL has paid us better than any
Investment the nation has made. ~
cost us less than cents an acre, ana.
spreading our receipts over the whoic
rrea. we have already uetted more than
$50 an acre, and that, notw'thstand-
inc we have scratched the surface OF
but few OF it's $4,000 square miles.
The furs from the land animals have
already paid the price or the territory.
and those from the seals have sold for
nine times as much. AS to the fish,
thirty times the cost Of Ala ska. and tho
output Of the mines has hcen forty
t;mes,its purchase price
The most Of this money has zone
away from, the territory. Aiaska has
hrcn exploited largely with capital
,t.sNS
ports A. number of absentee landlords.
Sevs.,h eless. the amount spent IN the
territory is large and this Will increase
in the future. More and more families
are cumin:, here Ia cake this land their
permanent home. The younger gen
Grafton is prepared TO stay, and thou
sands will come in To grow un with
tho country. have already spoken
of the enormous per capita commerce
This will continue. and Alaska will
grow as one Of the best markets of the
world.
TO give YOU some idea Of the hual~
ness now done here. ! visited. to-day
tho headquarters Of the Northern Com
mcrcial Company, at Fairbanks. This
company Is the offspring OF tho Nlaska
Commercial Company. which leased the
zeal islands about II year after we
bought the territory and established Il
general fur-tradng business something
IKE that or the iU0sOh nay company.
1t leased these seal islands OF the
United States and made such vas: sums
by dealing IN sealskns that tho royal
ties paid TO our government were moro
than tho first cost OF tho territory.
The Alaska company originated and
developed the transportation OF Alaska.
and had It's stores and trading posts
not only In the islands OF tile south.
east, the Alcutiann, tho southern coast
% the mainland. and IN BerinE Sea,
hut also at st. Michael, at tho mouth
Of the Yukon. and all along that river