TOTAL ALASKA
©TRADE ABOUT
$120,000,000
JUNEAU, Feb. 10.—The report of
Customs Collector J. F. Pugh for the
year 1916, released for publication
yesterday, has many items of inter
est incorporated. The report says:
A marked advance in the industrial
and commercial progress of the terri
tory is shown in this report of com
merce and customs for the calendar
year 1916, the total commerce having
reached the unprecedented value of
nearly one hundred and twenty mil
lions of dollars. Greater production
from natural resources is the chief
element of the increase although pre
vailing higher prices of the principal
product commodities and receipts of
merchandise, likewise affected, enter
largely into the cause.
The importance of the different
sections of the territory covered by
the judicial divisions has changed this
year. The southern section, or Third
division, owing to the greatly increas
ed production of its copper mines and
fisheries as well as larger receipts of
merchandise from the United States
incident to railroad construction and
•■*“julting settlement and development
W the adjacent country, takes first
place. An increase in production and
trade occurred in each of the other di
visions, the most important being the
First.
The gain in imports of merchan
dise from foreign ports is due to re
sumption of copper ore shipments
from the Yukon territory through
Skagway to British Columbia, the in
creased exports, by the exportation
of ore fijom tne copper mines in the
First division to the same destination.
During- the year, several large
shipment;? of supplies, construction
materials and operating appliances
were received by the government
railroad iregarding which no de
finite impformation was received and
the value of the same is not obtain
able. Could it have been added to the
imports the total commerce would
have been materially increased.
Within the past year the balance of
trade in favor of the territory has in
creased from twenty-seven to fifty
millions of dollars and the value of its
products from fifty to seventy millions
of dollars.
A compilation of estimates covering
the shipments of Alaska products from
the year 1868 to 1903 and authentic
reports of the office from the latter to
the present year, inclusive, present the
following results:
and fur products ... ..$323,042,200
Mines and minerals. 345,702,111
Total .$668,794,401
Important gains in the value of all
products shipped from Alaska were
made during the year with the excep
tion of antimony ore, gypsum and
marble. Tungsten ore oppears in the
table for the first time and it is ex
pected that its value will be materi
ally increased from year to year. The
fur products from the Pribilof Islands
and the shipments of other furs by
mail are responsible for a material in
crease in the value of that item, as
these shipments have never before
been included in the tables.
The table in the report shows that
the value of the goods received from
the United States and Canada for the
First division reached a valuation of
$13,589,867 and of this amount the
cities of Douglas, Treadwell, Thane
and Juneau received goods to the
value of $6,175,168, or nearly half the
entire amount of merchandise used in
the entire First division. Of this
amount Juneau and Thane, which are
included together in the report, im
ported goods to the value of $4,277,
684; Douglas, $565,181; and Tread
well, $1,332,303, the balance being
split between the other towns of the
division.
In the Third division the goods im
ported amounted to $9,283,730. Of
®his amount, Anchorage led with $2,
609,703, with Cordova second with $1,
923,001.
The Second division imported goods
NATION IS IN
6000 SHAPE TO
ENTER IN WAR.
WASHINGTON.—(By Mail)—Not
withstanding the deplorable condi
tions the United States has been in
as regards preparedness for war, ar
my officers point out that the army
bill of the last session of congress and
the extraordinary circumstances
which resulted in the construction of
enormous munitions plants here dur
ing the last two years, have put us in
good condition for the present emer
0
gency.
It is added that the country can
now provide ordnance and equip
ment for an army as rapidly as it can
possibly be used in the event of war
with Germany.
No censorship has been established
officially, but yet army men are re
luctant to discuss the crisis for pub
lication, except with the understand
ing that their names are not to be
used. With such an understanding a
prominent army officer today was wil
ling to be quoted as follows:
If it were not that Germany is now
hemmed in by enemies whose lines
she can not break, I should have sent
by family into the interior as soon as
I heard that the president had broken
off diplomatic relations with Germany.
No Disaster Impends.
As it is, no matter how rapidly the
next developments come, there is not
likely to be any condition arising that
we shall be unable to forsee or meet
with sufficient force to prevent disas
ter to any considerable portion of the
United States. Last summer’s army
bill authorizes the president to take
over for national use any plants, or
even complete industries, that might
be needed for army use.
This applies not only to the time
of actual warfare, but when there is
danger of war, and so it applies right
now. It is hardly possible although,
that any such step will be necessary
immediately; it is generally believed
that owners of such plants will will
ingly turn them over to the govern
ment if they are needed, without makT
ing it necessary to commandeer them.
Our little army is inadequately
equipped at the present time; there
can be no disputing that, but through
no effort for which we can claim
credit, we are fortunately able to turn
out the equipment needed by armies
far larger than ours. Recruiting since
the passage of the army bill has, I
understand, gone on more rapidly than
is generally known.
Size of Present Army.
We probably have an army in the
vicinity of 135,000 men now and on
paper, at least, a national guard of
some 100,000. We are more deficient
in our machine gun, artillery and air
plant equipment than in any other
feature.
The situation is such, however, that
in all probability there will be more
than time enough to make up these
and other deficiencies before they
can do any harm in the event of war.
American soldiers in all probability
will not be needed abroad immediate
ly, even if war is declared. The sev
erance of relations with Germany will
in itself have a tremendous moral ef
fect on the men now fighting against
Germany. Declaration of war would
have greater effect toward defeating
Germany than would the winning of
several important battles.
Our navy, pretty well equipped now,
would, of course be the first arm of
from the states to a value of $4,105,
999 and of that amount the town of
Nome received $1,049,245. The Yukon
district, or the Fourth division, im
ported $3,855,197 worth of merchan
dise and of this amount $1,544,133
was consigned to Fairbanks.
In the domestic trade a total of
1051 vessels entered at Alaskan ports
during the year and 1.290 cleared,
while 866 foreign vessels entered and
539 cleared, while the total tonnage,
both foreign and domestic, which en
tered and cleared during the year was
1,883,904, an increase of 395,296 tons
over the year 1914.
the service that would be called into
action. The British navy, big as it is,
is not big enough to cover all points
where warships are now needed, and
the American navy could render valu
able service. As for the army, how
ever, it is not impossible that the war
might be brought to a close without
our army being called into any sereve
action at all.
None Might Go Abroad.
It is impossible to tell just where
and how it would be needed; I don’t
believe the officials in Washington
would try to predict what would be
needed, or even whether a single sol
dier would be sent across the sea.
In any event it is highly probable
that our regular army would not be
called upon to embark for the front
until long after there had been time
to improve the equipment, and that
the national guard would not be call
ed on to sail for months after that.
It would take at least six months to
equip and prepare the national guard
for sailing, and the allies would hard
ly be able to make much use of our
national guard within less time than
that.
With intensive training and our
present facilities for equipping men
in emergency, citizens could be turn
ed into effective soldiers in a year, as
is being done in England, and no cir
cumstances can be forseen which
would make them needed before that
length of time.
The situation is such, however, that
there is need of increasing our fa
cilities for manufacturing ordnance
and equipment. The allies need all
we can turn out now. While we prob
ably would not ally ourselves with
the countries now fighting Germany,
and would act independently, official
ly, in the conduct of the war, we
should attempt to avoid handicapping
the allies by diverting their supplies
to our own uses. That means turning
every industry that can manufacture
munitions and is not now doing so
into a munition producing agency un
der government control.
SESSION OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO
BE A BUSY ONE
JUNEAU—Now that the people of
the territory have had an opportunity
to witness the actual workings of the
session laws as passed by the last two
legislatures and the legislature has an
attorney general to advise their mem
bers about amendments necessary to
the laws, the coming session of the
territorial legislature, during the
months of March and April, should
principally be taken up in fixing the
laws already passed, according to a
statement made by Senator Frank A.
Aldrich, of Nome, holdover senator
from the Second division.
“In my opinion,” said Mr. Aldrich,
“several of the session laws already
passed have been tried and found
wanting, while others which %re al
most necessities have been found to be
absolute failures. Take for instance,
the election law. Election laws should
be passed which will require an abso
lute check on the vote and should
make mistakes impossible. There
should be a provision in the law which
makes it impossible for the clerks of
the courts of the different divisions to
place their own interpretations.
“At the last general election, the
clerks of the courts in each of the dif
ferent divisions made different rulings
and the returns from no two of the
divisions were handled the same. I
think the law should also provide for
a duplicate certificate of the returns
to be filed with the clerk of the court
at the same time the pay rolls are sent
in, which would allow candidates and
the general public to know who is
elected, without depending on vague
and unofficial rumors of returns from
the outlying precincts. This certifi
cate would also allow a check on the
returns, in case the regular returns to
the canvassing board should get lost
in the mail.
“We have an efficient attorney gen
era! now and it is his duty to point out
shortcomings in the laws which have
been passed and to aid us in passing
new laws or amendments, which will
make the present laws workable. This
is something which we have never had
before and mistakes have been made
which have ben vital to the territory.
“Among the first legislation which
must be taken care of is the appropri
ations for the roads and schools and
special regulations to handle the
schools. The cities of the territory
will lose thousands of dollars through
the closing of the saloons, and as
many of the cities will be hard hit to
have to make up the deficit for their
schools, I think the territory as a
whole should pass an adequate school
law with sufficient appropriations to
carry all schools, whether outside or
inside of the incorporated towns.
“A bill will also be introduced pro
viding for an Alaskan territorial na
tional guard and also a coast artil
lery reserve corps under the authority
of the act recently passed by congress.
This is something which we have
wanted for a number of years, but
have never been able to get on account
of not having sufficient backing from
the formation of a regiment,” he said.
Phone 43-Y for car, day or night.
Wood and coal a specialty. Universal
Taxi and Transfer. 126
Maps of Alaska for Sale. Robarts.
\
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For Billiards and Pool, Peterson’s.
TAXIS
MESSENGERS, TRANSFER
PHONE 89R.
CITY AUTO SERVICE.
Office: Next to Labor Temple
RECREATION
Bowling Alleys and Pool Parlors
YOUNG VIKING R. HEGSTROM
Next to Harmony Theatre.
PLUMBING AMD HEATING
Full Line of Plumbing Supplies, Pipes and Fittings, j
_PROMPT ATTENTION TO ALL ORDERS.
T. W. KENNEDY,
E St. Bet. 3rd and 4th. Next to Hotel Anchorage ]
City Drug’ Store
THE REXALL STORE. I
Dr. K. A. KYVIG, Owner.
5th and C |
The Best and Purest Drugs and the Most Reasonable in
the City.
Victor Phonographs $15.00, $25.00, $50.00.
On Time Payments.
I
£
i
£
£
l
£
PIONEER HOTEL
KNIK, ALASKA
DOGS FOR SALE : : GOOD DOG STABLES
Plenty Dog Feed on Hand for Interior Travelers.
Dried Salmon, Tallow and Cracklins.
P. M. MAYHILL, Prop.
TRY A “WANT” AD. IN THE TIMES FOR RESULTS
"WSWSWSXSXSXsXsXsXsXsXiXSCsXsXiXsXsXlXsXsXsXSGXsXjXiXsXSC!^^
CLEARANCE SALE
I AT THE !
Dry Goods and Furnishings I
i ' ACROSS FROM EMPRESS. \
NEARLY EVERYBODY IN ANCHORAGE HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF jj
THE GREAT BARGAINS WHICH WE HAVE BEEN OFFERING SINCE MON- |
DAY. THE GOODS WHICH HAVE BEEN OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC ARE ALL f
STANDARD BRANDS AND STAPLE ARTICLES, AND THE RESULT HAS \
BEEN THAT WE HAVE MOVED A GREAT QUANTITY OF MERCHANDISE.
1
INCLUDED IN THE STOCK NOW OFFERED AT GREATLY REDUCED
PRICES, ARE IMPORTED GOODS MANUFACTURED IN THE WAR ZONE IN jj
EUROPE, WHICH TODAY CANNOT BE DUPLICATED AT ANY PRICE. MR. f.
GOLD BOUGHT THESE GOODS PRIOR TO THE RAISE IN PRICE, AND THE 1
PEOPLE OF ANCHORAGE NOW ARE OFFERED THESE GOODS AT PRICES 1
THE SAME AS OBTAINED BEFORE THE WAR.
EVERYTHING IN THE STORE IS MARKED IN PLAIN FIGURES AND l
£
r!
I
I
THE ARTICLES ADVERTISED IN THE TIMES ARE GUARANTEED TO BE AS
REPRESENTED.
AMONG OTHER BARGAINS WE TODAY OFFER:
Navy Blue All-Wool Serge, 52 in.
wide, per yard .$1.45
White and Black Stripe Crepe, per
yard . 25c
Galatea Cloth, Black, White yard 25c
Amoskeag Gingham, Blue and Pink
Lavender cheek and stripe, per
yard .15c
Percales, Light and Dark Colors, 36
inches wide, per yard.15c
Amoskeag Bed Ticking, extra hea
vy, per yard.35c
French Silk Crepe, colors Light
Blue and Pink, per yard.$1.25
Best quality Taffeta Silk, Pink,
Blue and Black, per yard.$1.75
Silk Crepe de Chine, best quality,
Ivory and Pink, per yard.$1.75
White Charmeuse Satin, 42 inches
wide, per yard .$2.50
BEN GOLD, Proprietor