The Wrangell sentinel., 1940-04-05
ALASKA TRADE UP IN BILLIONS
 OVER F YEARS

Commerce between the United States and Alaska from the date Of purchase to December 31, 1889 to- taIs y3,316.686,S50 according to an analysis of trade statistics just com pleted by the Alaska Planning Coun- oll and maae puDnc by John E. pe- gues, Executive Secretary.
 Seldom h the history Of trade nas any such return been made up- on an investment of $62O0,0o0 which the United States paid Russia Tor the Territory in 1867.
 onlpments rom tne onIteo States lnto tne Territory auriug the period covered by the study aggregated sIIOZ376.2O5. Shipments from the Territory to continental United States totalled S2.214,260,645.
 Favorable Trade Balance
 Thus the outgoing commerce ex- ceeueu that coming into the Terri Cory by $l,111,SS4,44O. or more than I0U percent. This favorable trade balance, however, is undoubt- edly more apparent than real. Ship ments from Alaska largely have been in the form of minerals and fish produced by individuals, companies and corporations mainly financed by capital from the States. Sales of these products were made largely in the States or to foreign countries. Receipts from these sales and the profits thereon did not usually re- turn to the Territory but were paid to stockholders or bondholders re siding outside of the Territory, Much of this money was naturally invested in projects in the States up on which municipalities, counties and States levied taxes Had these funds been reinvested in developing the Territory, the need for funds from the Federal Treasury for sup port of the Territory would have been greatly reduced if not entirely eliminated.
 Fisheries
 Production ot the fisheries h. dustries ranked first in the list ol outgoing commerce. Total value oi all tish products from records avail able to the Alaska Planning Council was SI,234,174,090. Up to 1901 act uaI records are not available and the ngures covering those years repre- sent computation from pack records based at $4 per case ou salmon and a percentage basis for minor fisher les The Council estimated the sal mon pack value from 1897 to 1901 at $52,502,852. The actual figure TOT the salmon pack from 1902 tC 1889 is $995, 5,479,5S9. Value oi other salmon products from 1912 tc 1889 is $41,S68,795, bringing the total for all salmon exports to $1,- 089,851,236. The value of all other fish products is fixed at s144,322,- 854.
 Minerals
 Gold and silver occupy second place in the list of outbound trade The value of these two minerals tc the end of 1939 is fixed at S55S,- 6ol, ,403. Copper was the next most important item in Alaskas ship ments to the States. The total pro- auction up to 1888 as reported by the U. s. Geological Survey. was I,374,532.000 pounds having a val ue or $227,411,0O0. The same au- thority estimates the 1889 produc tion at $943,200, bringing the all time production of that mineral to $227,721, ,2O0.
 The importance of Alaska's wild life in the Territorial economy is clearly evidenced by the figures showing the value of furs shipped from the Territory since it became a part of the United States. From 1867 to 1889 fur shipments valued at approximately $125, 1000, ex- elusive of sea mammals such as fur seal and sea otter for which records are not complete, were exported from the Territory.
 Nineteen seventeen stands out as Alaska's largest export year when the total of shipments to the States was valued at s76,S6S,79S. This re- fleets war time prices for fish pro- ducts and copper.
 Steady Improvement