BUSINESS FOR 1917 TOTALED
$141,125,462, ACCORDING TO
CUSTOMS REPORT.
NOT AS LARGE AS EXPECTED.
America's Entrance Into World War
Had Effect of Retarding Gold Min
ing and Causing General Scarcity
cf Labor.
The grand total volue of Alaska’s
trade for the year 1917 reached the
sum of $141,125,462, as shown in the
annual report of the United States
customs service, treasury department,
just released for publication at Ju
neau. Merchandise shipped from Alas
ka shows a gain of $21,000,000 over
the previous year. The preface of the
report says:
"The progress and development of
Alaska, though substantial, is not as
great as anticipated at the beginning
of the year. The unusual situation
due to the world conflict, and more
particularly since the entry of the
United States into the conflict, has so
affected affairs generally as to unbal
ance production and commerce.
"Separating the products of the ter
ritory into two general classes, land
* a ml sea, it will be noted that last year
th ■ value of land products exceeded
these of the sea by nearly $13,000,000,
while in the present year the sea pro
ducts were nearly $3,000,000 more
ti.cn those of the land. Abnormally
increased prices of copper brought
tins about in the previous year and
the same cause applied to fish prod
uct- in the present year, reversing the
po.-ition of the classes.
i icu vi ivi'i ai uru.
"The retarded exploitation of the
.ra! resources, the depleted placet
• 1 -its. and the large withdrawals
< labor from Alaska industries to
more lucratice employment in the
states, have been the means of de
creasing the volume of production.
The price of merchandise shipped
to the territory has been greatly en
hanced compared with the volume.
Thus the S21,000.000 gain in com
merce value of this year over last
has been due to price rather than
volume.”
Some Comparisons.
The value of imports for the year
reached §44.421,600, as compared with
§35,214,003 for the preceding year,
being $30,838,168 for merchandise
for the United States; $1,196,195 for
merchandise from foreign ports, and
§2,397,431,600 for gold and silver from
foreign ports.
The exports reached $96,693,862 as
compared with $84,622,450 for 1916
divided as follows: Merchandise tc
the United States, $86,651,968; mer
chandise and gold to foreign ports
$3,093,590; domestic gold and silvei
to the United States, $14,939,440; for
eign gold and silver to the Unitec
States, $2,008,864.
Railroad a Factor.
The report says:
“1 he value of shipments received
by the government railroad this yeai
is $2,797,819 and its outward mer
chandise is $33,004. Include these
items in the foregoing table and the
total commerce will be $143,956,285.
“Owing to the near conformity oi
the judicial with the geographical di
visions of the territory and consider
ing that the former are more defi
nitely described and fixed in the pub
lic m:nd, it has been deemed advisable
to subdivide the shipments from the
L meed States accordingly. This has
been done in the tables.
“In order to arrive at the full value
of fish products the following exports
foreign, should be added to the domes
tic exports:
About Fish Products.
Salmon, fresh .$ 21,331
Halibut, fresh . 304,73^
Cod, fresh . 7,651
Herring, Salt . 43,781
Salmon, canned . 733,77i
Total .$1,111,284
“This sum taken with the total oi
domestic exports makes the grand to
lal value of shipments from Alaska
$92,702,692, an increase over last year
of nearly $13,000,000.”
The number of passengers arriving
for the year at southeastern Alaska,
western Alaska and Nome and St.
Michael, is 27,030, and via Eagle, 759;
the departure from the former places
reached a total of 31,259 and from
Eagle via Dawson, 674.
Value by Divisions.
The value of merchandise imports
shows the following:
First Division .$14,049,468
I Second Division . 1,992,533
Third Division . 19,234,642
Fourth Division . 4,661,525
Total .$39,838,168
Value of gold and silver exports by
division:
First Division .
Second Division
Third Division
Fourth Division
$ 4,592,716
. 2,573,186
. 1,321,381
6,452,157
Total .$14,939,446
Merchandise exported is:
First Division .$25,885,753
Second Division . 702,118
Third Division . . 49,438,283
Fourth Division . 631,814
$76,651,968
1! A it R V FLETCHER VISITS
STATES BECAUSE HE IS
AFRAID TO STAY IN YUKON'
TOO COLD TO DIG THE GRAVES
ndies of Many Victims of Pneumo
nia Will be Kept Until Spring V. her
i hawing of Ground Will Hermit ol
Their Interment.
Harry Fletcher, one of the early
day printers of Dawson, who alter
noted between “sticking type” anc
prospecting for the elusive paystreak
was in Juneau recently on his waj
o the states. To a Juneau newspa
I'.erman Fletcher admitted that he was
afraid to remain in Dawson during
the remainder of the winter.
He said there had been thirty-si.'
lea.hs in Dawson, principally froir
pneumonia, between December 1 am
January 15, and that at the time hr
left there were twenty-one bodies ir
.he morgue awaiting burial.
At Dawson it has always been th<
custom of the undertakers to have i
number of graves excavated in the
fall before the freezeup, as it is al
most impossible to dig them later. Bui
the demand so far exceeded the num
ber of graves prepared that the onh
practical thing to do was to hold the
bodies until the ground thaws in the
spring, which is being done.
-More than half the deaths at Daw
son lately, according to Mr. Fletcher
were of old-timers of from eighteer
lo twenty years’ residence in the in
i terior.
| Of the Dawson Daily News staff
Eelitor C. R. Settlemeir, Business
Manager O. F. Kastner anel the press
men were all in the hospital at th<
iuine time and all were considered t(
be in a dangerous condition for sev
era! days. However, they all recov
j ered.
Mr. Fletcher says the contagion ha<
just about run its course when he lef
i there.
WHAT SURPRISES TROOPS.
PARIS, Feb. 26. — One of th«
French trench newspapers has beei
asking soldiers returning from leav<
•vhut astonished them most in Paris
Here are a few typical replies:
To see people sitting down to thei
areals.
To see unoccupied cellars.
do find there are women who an
not grocers.
1 o find people who want to go to tin
country.
To see funerals.
To be asked to sit down when get
ting one’s hair cut.
To hear civilians complaining abou
their hardships.
WAR DEPARTMENT IS TOO BUSY
TO GIVE ATTENTION TO
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
STATEMENT OF DR. F. M. BOYLE.
Branch of Government, Which Now
Has Charge of Building of Federal
Railway, Can Easily Take Care of
the Work.
_
Federal roads in Alaska hereafter
i will be constructed under the direction
of the department of the interior in
stead of the war department; if the
plans of a number of prominent Alas
kans who are working to that end are
! successful.
“Under the present system of road
building,” said Dr. F. M. Boyle today,
i “the highways in Alaska are built by
separate funds expended under the di
rection of the war department, the
forestry service, and the territorial
road commissioner. While it is pro
per in every way that the territory
should have a road commissioner and
be able to construct roads in places
| where they are neded, but where the
i federal authorities cannot be induced
to build them, it is not right that the
federal funds available for road pur
poses liould be expended by two sep
arate organizations, the war and in
terior departments.
“ The war department now is giving
its entire attention to the prosecution
of the great war with Germany and as
a consequence will hu\e little time or
money to devote to the needs of Alas
ka. On the other hand, the depart
ment of the interior now is construct
ing the United States railroad in
Alaska, the greatest development
work ever projected in Alaska, and
the construction of wagon roads in
connection with this great work
should follow as a natural conclusion.
“The building of wagon roads in
Alaska easily could be handled by the
present organization of the Alaskan
Engineering commission, thus doing
away with the heavy overhead now
necessary in the constiuction of roads
by the Alaska Road Commission.
“It is only a matter of a few years
at the most when the government will
realize that the military roads now be
ing constructed by the war depart
ment in Alaska are ‘military’ in no
sense of the word, and that the work
will be taken from the war depart
ment. The sooner that is done the
better it will be for Alaska, and the
people should take steps immediately
to hurry this change along.”
DEATH RATE IN
AIR IS VERY LOW
FIFTY-ONE FATALITIES ARE RE
PORTED AS TOTAL NUMBER
IN AVIATION CAMPS.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 25.—
Fifty-one fatalities have occurred at
the aviation camps to date, according
to Secretary of War Newton D. Bak
^ er, who says the record of deaths is
remarkably low. Ten officers and
twenty-nine cadets were killed on
training flights and twelve died from
^ ailments while living in cantonments.
! Unauthorized flights and ground ac
! cidents were responsible for several
| mortalities.
Records show aerial service is not
| more dangerous than the infantry.
TEACHERS OF INDIANS
GO TO CONVENTION
. SUPERINTENDENTS LOPP AND
HENDERSON ARE ON THEIR
WAY TO ATLANTIC CITY.
; SEATTLE, Feb. 21.—Superintend
ent of Indian Education Lopp and
' Alaska Superintendent of Indian Edu
cation Henderson have arrived in
Seattle. They are on their way to at
■ tend the meeting of the superintend
ents’ department of the National Edu
: cation association which begins at At
lanc City, N. J., February 25.
CROSS FINISH
LINES ON SKIIS
THOMAS HEMMINGSON IS FIRST
IN 2 HOURS, 47 MINUTES
AND 8 SECONDS.
COURSE IS TWENTY MILES.
Second Place Is Won by Emil Gustaf
son; Third by Eric Hedlund; and
Fourth by G. Saaria—Women’s Con
test to Be Arranged.
|
:
Thomas Hemmingson was declared
the winner of yesterday’s twenty mile
skii race, having negotiated the dis
tance in two hours, forty seven min
utes and eight seconds.
The contest started in front of the
Bank pool hall on Fourth avenue at
twelve minutes past noon, the first en
try to get away being Eric Hedlund.
Second place was won by Emil Gus
tafson in 2:54:39; third place by Eric
Hedlund in 2:59:16, and fourth place
by Gust Saaria in 3:4:13.
The contestants from the starting
place went west on Fourth avenue as
far as L street, then south to Chester
creek, thence on Chester creek to a
line directly south of the city water
tank and thence north to the water
tank and back to the place of begin
ning.
There were thirteen entries in the
race, but only eight of them were able
to stand the pace and finish.
The contestants in the race and sev
eral of their friends were given a din
ner In.a evening at the 2.1 ilit Grill by
the committee which had charge of
the contest. During the dinner the
prizes were awarded. The first prize
of $60 went to Hemmingson, second
prize of $40 to Gustafson; third prize
of $25 to Hedlund and fourth prize of
$15 to Saari.
Plans for a women’s skii race in the
near future are now receiving the at
tention of the committee which ar
ranged for yesterday’s contest.
CHOPSTICKS ARE NOW PASSE.
Fancy yourself a guest for the first
time at a Chinese dinner. In front of
you, as you seat yourself on your
backless chair, are a small plate, a
spoon for soups, and a pair of chop
sticks. Of the intricacies of the ma
nipulation of the latter nothing need
here he said: it is a matter of prac
tice. Each course is brought on in a
large dish and placed in the center of
the table. The service, then, is sim
ple; each person serves himself, and
iiie hervut; is tureci.
You will, and so will everybody else
at that table, put your sticks into the
dish in the center, convey therefrom
food to your mouth, insert the sticks
into your mouth as far as you choose
—and return to the center dish for
more, Nathanial Pfeiffer writes in
World Outlook. By the time each
guest has had three helpings it will
require skillful maneuvering to get a
piece that has not been touched over
by sticks that have made at least two
; trips to at least one other person’s
mouth.
The sanitary consequences are ob
vious. As the chain is as strong as
its weakest link, so the health of that
; company is as good as that of its sick
; est guest. And if you have been
brought up under the tutelage of occi
dental doctors and have an uncom
i fortable knowledge of germs, your
| mind dwells uncomfortably as you eat,
i on the condition of your fellow-guests.
If by chance your vis-a-vis remarks
in passing that he has a bad cold,
your hunger may be appeased quite
suddenly.
Little by little, however, this is be
ing changed. Today in the homes of
many upper-class Chinese, who have
been educated in Europe or America,
or have come into contact with for
eign influences, the system of individ
ual dishes and individual sendee is
coming more and more into use.
THREE BROTHERS IN COUNCIL.
LONDON, Feb. 23.—The appoint
ment of Lord Hugh Cecil to a seat in
the King’s Privy Council makes three
brothers members of that body.
i&kl
IB
MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS PRE
FER INVADERS TO ANAR
CHISTIC CONDITIONS.
LEADERS ARE DISCOURAGED.
Muscovites Art Advancing in North
ern and Southern Parts of Musco
vite Country and Disarming All Na
tive Soldiers.
PETROGRAD, Feb. 23.—Residents
of Petrograd are reported to be await
ing the development of events calmly.
The great majority of the inhabitants
of the city probably will welcome the
Germans in preference to the anar
chistic conditions that now prevail.
German airplanes have distributed
proclamations over Russia urging the
people not to be frightened and de
claring that the Germans are coming
to suppress anarchy and to restore
order and to bring food.
Members of the Maximilist govern
ment are very much discouraged over
the situation. Leon Trotzky, Russian
foreign minister, is reported to have
suffered a nervous breakdown as a re
sult of the renewal of hostilities and
the succes of the German arms.
Diplomat Ready to Leave.
David R. Francis, United States am
bassador to Russia, got a message
through to London today saying that
the diplomatic corps in Petrograd in
tends to leave the city with the Max
imilist officials for a city farther in
land in the event that the Germans
approach close to Petrograd.
It is declared that the Maximilist
leaders will not surrender the capital
city without a struggle. Foreign di
plomats in Petrograd have unani
mously agreed not to break relations
with the Maximilist government and
are urging the Russian leaders to re
sist the Germans.
In the northern part of Russia, the
Germans have reached a point ninety
miles northeast of Riga. In south
ern Russia, the Teutons are closing in
on Kiev, the capital of the newly pro
claimed republic of Ukrania, which
is held by Maximilist troops.
Merely Disarm Soldiers.
In no part of Russia are the Ger
mans taking any prisoners. Russian
soldiers are merely disarmed and then
turned loose by the Germans.
It was announced today in Berlin
that Germany would not resume nego
tiations with the Maximilist govern
ment for the present, but would await
further military action on the part of
the German forces.
Dispatches today from the Russian
forces in eastern Russia declare that
the Turks have begun an offensive
again with Russian troops in the re
gion of the Caucasuns.
HUNDRED IRISHMEN
ARE LOST AT SEA
| TWO SHIPS LEAVE LONDON FOR
! WATERFORD AND ARE NEVER
HEARD OF AGAIN.
—
i WATERFORD, Ireland, Feb. 25.—
| All Waterford is in mourning as the
I result of the biggest catastrophe that
has befallen this Irish east-coast city
in thirty years through the loss of
seventy of its men at sea. The victims
were in two steamers which left an
English port but were never heard
from again. They left 400 women and
children so destitute here that relief
funds have been started in all parts of
the country.
MANY SHEEP ON RANGES.
MISSOULA, Mont., Feb. 25.—Fifty
thousand sheep from Pendleton, Or.,
will be grazed on the ranges of dis
trict No. 1 of the national forest next
season, according to announcement
here. All ranges in Oregon and Wash
ington are declared to be badly con
gested.
Read the Anchorage <Tmes.
NATIONAL LEGISLATORS BE
LIEVE FOOD CONSERVATION
SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
SAVING IS MADE IN MEATS.
Herbert Hoover Declares That East
ern Part of United States Is Con
fronted With Most Critical Short
age in its History.
WASHINGTON, D. €., Feb. 23.—
There are indications that President
Wilson may increase the price for the
farmer of the 1918 wheat crop.
Members of the agricultural com
mittee of the house of representatives
declared today they believed compul
sory food conservation was necessary
with reference to public eating places.
The committee is prepared to sub
mit to the house a report on a bill giv
ing the president the power to regu
late public eating places and to regu
late the distribution of food. The bill
does not directly affect householders.
Herbert Hoover, the national food
administrator announced today that
the United States by reason of its
meatless days had saved 140,000,000
pounds of beef, and that during this
; period 160,000,000 pounds of beef had
| been exported to the allies of the
j United States together with 400,000,
! 000 pounds of pork products.
Administrator Hoover declared that
the eastern nart of the United States
1 was now confronted with the most crit
l
i ical food shortage.
Waitresses Aid Eoover
SEATTLE, Feb. 23.—The Waitress
| es’ union, of Seattle, 500 strong, voted
today to support the food conservation
plan of Herbert Hoover and agreed to
watch restaurant patrons to see that
they do not waste food.
!
THREE AMERICANS ARE KILLED
AND FOUR WOUNDED BY
EXPLOSION OF MORTAR.
PARIS, Feb. 23.—Heavy bombard
ment continues along the American
sector. The American troops today
disbursed a band of German raiders.
Rain halted the intense aerial activ
ity. Three Americans were killed and
four wounded in the trenches when a
mortar shell exploded.
Vernor Booth, of Chicago, a mem
ber of the LaFayette flying corps, of
the French army, brought down a Ger
man airplane today in a fight several
miles within the German lines.
A detachment of French troops in a
raid of the enemy’s positions north of
the Ailette river captured several pris
oners and a quantity of supplies.
DISPUTE ON WAR
BILL COMPROMISED
SENATE MILITARY COMMITTEE
REVISES MEASURE EXTEND
ING PRESIDENT’S POWER.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 23.—
In accordance with a plan to com
promise disputes over war legislation,
the administration bill extending
President Wilson’s authority to co-or
dinate government agencies has been
revised by the senate judiciary com
| mittee.
The revised measure is likely to be
! reported to the senate Monday.
BRITISH PRINCESS
IS MADE COLONEL
PATRICIA IS NAMED HONORARY
COLONEL IN CHIEF OF CANA
DIAN LIGHT INFANTRY.
LONDON, Feb. 25.—Prince Patri
cia was today appointed honorary col
onel in chief of the “Princess Pats"
Canadian light infantry regiment.