Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-14
ALASKA TRADE STANDS SHOCK
 IF DEPRESSION
OUTGOING COMMERCE VALUED AT MORE THAN S5O,O00,O0O
 DURING YEAR

fisheries industry, Alaska's indus tries withstood the second success sive year of the depression in fine shape, it was revealed by tentative figures for 1881 shipments from the Territory to the States, as com piled from the official records of the United States Customs. Service.
 The aggregate of all shipments was approximately s50,5OO,OOO, without fur shipments by mail and fur seal from Pribilof Islands. The years decline from 1880 will be about $6,O00,00O.
 Gold Shipments Large
 The outstanding feature of the year was the increased gold pro- duction that is reflected in a gain of Is per cent over 1880 shipments. Gold and silver shipped last year was valued at slightly more than $9,00OO0O as compared to $7,812,- 043 in 1880, 8 gain of more than $1,1OOO0O The production figure probably will be slightly larger than that given for shipments since some shipments were enroute to the States that could not be taken into consideration.
 This is the largest shipment val ue of precious metals to be made from Alaska in 13 years. In 1917, it was $14,939,440 It dropped below the $9,OOO,O00 mark in 1918, after the Treadwell cave-in, and never again attained that proportion un- til the year ending December 31.
 Minerals Generally Decline
 The larger gold output, however, was not sufficient to counter bal ance the loss in other minerals. Copper ore tumbled again, both in quantity and value. Last years ore aggregated 22,055,271 pounds worth only $2,O8O,338 as compared to 37,774,O6O pounds and $5,341. .055.
 This is the smallest return from the copper mining industry since it became firmly established in the Territory. It was more than $6,- 500,000 less than the 1929 produc- tion brought.
 Other minerals played but small part in the aggregate for the min ing industry which was $11,327071. Lead was worth about $150,000, an increase of LOGO over 1880. Stone to the value of $75,O00, and a small quantity of tin worth S2,700 made up the rest of the list.
 Canned Salmon Gains
 Fisheries, as usual, played the major role in the years outgoing commerce. The total for all branch es of the industry was about $36,- 175,0O0, or some $50,000 less than in 1850.
 Canned salmon registered a mil lion-dollar gain in value and in quantity There were 267,291, ,773 pounds of this commodity shipped with a declared value of $31, 150,000 as compared to 239,2O8,020 pounds worth $3O,O84,228 in 1880.
 Ealibut gained slightly in volume and value and the figures were: 13,634,O83 pounds and S1,462,77S
 Herring tumbled about $200,00 to $550,000, Mild-cured salmon lost heavily, dropping from S1, ,401 ,045 to about S81O,OO0. Clans shipped were worth $311,OOO as compared to $204,000 for the previous year. Shrin1pS and crabs, at $199,000 and $39,O00 held their own.
 Products Lose Sharply
 Byproducts of the fishing indus try did not show to the advantage of the main branches. Oil ship ments were valued at about $780, 900 and meal at $345,000 as com pared to $978,697 and $676,466 re- spectively.
 The whaling industry was idle. No oil was shipped in 1881 where 1881 shipments were worth $4O9,-