The Alaska daily empire., 1921-02-05
TRADE CONDITIONS IN ALASKA SHOW BIG IMPROVEMENT
$l08, ,329,895 Commerce To- tai in 1920, Collector of
 Customs Report Declares.
TRADE BALANCE GROWS
Exports Exceed Imports by More Than $3l 100000
 Or About 82 Per Cent.

With commerce in 1920 between Alaska and the United States tota!ine SOS, ,329,895, exports exceeded i'm ports by more than $31,000 000 be ing about 62 per cent greater than the total imports, according to the annual report of John w Troy. Coi lector of Customs, made public to day. Last years commerce was smaller than that of i)19 by $1, 322,444, but comparison with the tie crease in 1919 from ;he commerce of 1918 indicates that the bottom sosspsthe decline has oAen reached. [ The total exports from Alaska for 1920 Lad a decld '''1 val Of $69.- 9': AZ being little than three-quar- ters of million dollars less than those of 1919 when they were val. ued at $76 .695 .0S0 Imports to Al aska in 1920 amounted to S36.4t3,472 compared to $3S,957,259 for l.,:- year previous.
 Balance Favors Alaska
 Reviewing the year g business and developments the rapar. says:
 ''The commerce of :he Territory while suffering d2 eiine of more than million dol.lTe in value shows a much better conG:::on of trade than during last year when the slump was over seventeen million from that of 1918.
 "The balance Gf tf3de in our favor is about one and one half million dollars more thah in 1919. With an equally favora1 balance of trade the exports last year showed high vious year, while . more stable con dition is noted in that the imports and exports have been about the same for the last two wears.
 Slowly but s"r,y for several years past during which time some of the greatest developments have taken place. thus enhancing the rel ative imports, the re.atiTo position of the exports and il.pGrt' have been changing. There hls been q gradual gain of exports Cv3" imports. The relative decrease in imports shows that we ate producing more of the necessities of life for use ill the Territory and in consequence becoming less dep 'ndent upon the rest of the world fo. our needs.
 This indicates q general improve ment in the industries which if ac- companied next year by q more set tied market for our pf) lucts, should have tendency tow I'd increasing activities in the esta blishment of trades and making fmtEo" develop ments attractive.
 Gold Production 5irsler
 "The loss in volume of precious metals is due to the continued low purchasing power of gold and the resulting high cost of production This has caused a considerable sus pension of the placer operations in the Yukon Valley with a loss of sey enty seven per cent in output of thai region from the previous year. 4 exported products reveals substan tial gains in all minerals exce2l gold and tin the net result having value of nearly three million dol lars. Copper shows the greatest gain, with lead palladium and plat mum following. The palladium pro duction is said to be the largest from any one property in the United States. Southeastern Alaska shows a greater production of precious metals than the other divisions com bined Owing to favorable labor and transportation facilities the lode mines of this district have 5oen running continuously during the per iod of depression. Other gains will be noted in furs, lumber and reindeer meat. The large gain in fur value is attributed to the large increase