The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-01-29

address the legislature at ths it's fifteenth biennial session. to report the state of the territory to discuss our com problems and responsibilities and to make the recom mendaons from the executive to the legislative branch as both customary here in Alaska and established practice everywhere under American system of government
 It is with of profound satisfaction that can present to the members of the legislature favorable picture general Perhaps the best way to appreciate how good these conditions is to back eight and recall the cir h @ that then G existed as to the T Honorable George Parks Reporting that the of Alaska in the preceding year. 1882 had reached the lowest point in nearly two decades he forecast still further decline saying:
 Tt is apparent that must expect decline in the possibly the year following It is almost certain that federal will not permit normal aotmens for these purposes Industrial expansion appears to be wholly improbable for time to and we cannot hope for new activities that would be sources of revenue.
 The revenue for the past biennium declined approx- rant the expectation that there will be material improve ment in the future. In fact should anticipate con-
 Accurate as this gloomy picture was of conditions then existing the territory know that fortunately the pessimsc forecast proved to be unfounded Within few days after this delivered new national administration took the conduct of affairs and the upward and forward march of the territory of Alaska nomcally and socially, began.
 that administration increase of 69 /3 percent in the price of gold Todayeight years later-the U ducton of the territory reached new altme high ot $25 75 900 during 940 exceeding the highs o the
 
 the year 1939 Platinum metals likewise increased both in quantity and value the past year l940 showing an exrac 23O value of $997O O0O in 1889 The biennum recorded the highest production in the platinum metals a4 mineral production likewise rose reaching approxmatey $27 658 0OO 9H% increase 1889. Among the new should be mentioned that coal mined in the territory than in any preceding yeaa total o loooo tons.
 One of the other factors which has contributed to the prosperity of the gold mining industry is the growing par tcipation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation by assisting mining through loans which afford operators Fed eral funds at lower rate of interest than IS attanaoc otherwise.
 Nor there any the U. S Geological Survey points out to for moment that this new peak represents temporary accidental circumstance On the contrary water shortage in considerable areas of the interior during part of the 194O mining season diminished
 In the fisheries industry the picture less rosy that the salmon pack for the past bennlum has been suDsat below the five-year average.
 In 1889 the total pack of canned salmon was 5263 53 cases valued at 082 This decrease of about 23 in quantity and about 6 in value from the production in 1888 when the pack was 68O699S cases valued at still further In the year just ended the pack 234775 fewer than the 1889 pack and with value of $3l 1928 45a dimnuon in value of s26l26S1 The decline in production in 194o was in part due the small red salmon catch in Bristol Bay which is anticipated next years back will be- but the successive declines in value would indicate important tendency in the Alaskan econo namely that m gold nd are getting
 Other salmon products showed corresponding decline Also the catch of herring for conversion into oil and meal was off about 59% owing regulations limiting the taking herring for reduction conservation measure but herring taken for picking showed almost cores bonding ncrease-51.6%.
 The haibut catch limited by international agreement and valued at around $900,O0O about normal Shell fish, cams crabs and shrimp however all registered sub stantal increases in both quantity and value.
 In furs-Alaskas third largest industry ,553 belts shipped in 194O totaed $1 958533 This $48422 than 1889 and represents the largest number of pelts shipped from the territory in nine years and the highest value shipped out, with one exception, in ten years.
 However, there other factors of far reaching inn portance which indicate that the territory is entering new era progress and growth The 1940 in it's final figures gives Alaska total population of 72524 increase of 22% This percentage of increase was exceeded in the last decade by only states in the unionForida and New Mexico Alaska in other words showed greater per centage of growth than 46 states But this is not the whole story The Alaska census, alone all the political units under the flag taken not all the others April 1940 but six months earlier on October 1859 Let it be noted that our date preceded the initiation of the intensive work on several major Army and Navy bases and that it after October l. 1889 that the contngens of military and naval forces, amounting 5000 including the advance guard of their depen dents Alaska and that further increase in popu slato deyelODments place. Were