THE VALUE OF ALASKA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11500, 5 February 1903, Page 4

THE VALUE OF ALASKA.

Alaska, referred to In oitr cable messages tiiis morning, is a striking; example of the manner in s which the :raoet valuable of piMessjona eometimea fall into a nation's hands, almost against its will. At the time that Russia sold! th« territory to the, United States, the price pud was not ntucu over seven million dollani. The purchase was, on the wholdj unpopular amongst the Americans themselves, who considered it a great waste of money to buy up barren Arctic regions. Seward'e party, -which was in favour of the appropriation, managed to secure their point by persuading people to regard the eale as a murk of friendsaiii and gratitude to Russia, -which liad declared for the causa oi the Northern Federals in the Civil War. In this -Hay the supposed commercial wcrthlessness was overlooked, and Alaska because part of the United States, Colonial* do not need to be reminded of the wjdden leap into v< alth and fAme in«de bj' the Klondike. But it Is irterating to note the financial dttaila of the present valwi of Alaska. The United Status Goveramiot has already raised'i revenue of orer nine million doilars'from its purchase, and too vaiu« of *h« sproducta is now' eyi«ry year double iU cost. The total vaiuo of Alaskan importa into the United States since its ac quisition is reckoned by the vßureau. of Statistics hi about one hundred aud fitty million dollars. Gold, of comse, bulla largely in the ci m of its exports, but most. people will be eurprieed to leant that it hat two eouiore of weaJtii whose value to the United Stat«a is reckoned euual to that of gold. These are the salmon fisheries end the seal Jura. In the former the capi* tal Invested by companies :je almoet twenty, (wo million dollars. Still larger sum* are inverted in U» uiinef. The mill at Jumcau is the l»rs«t quarts eta cap mili in the world. With moiwy tbew will eoine lation and civilisation. Toiras have sprung

up, and 'Nome city hae no* trrer 12,000 inhabitants. Commtmication is improving, and mails are delivered regularly wiUwi the Arctio circle. And thia important die trick was given up by Russia as worthies", almost rejected by America, and 'fln*Uf taken as a favour to a friendly Empue. Alaska, is certainly a remarkable objectlesson of the quite unsuspected worth, of some of the most despised regions. But after all, the same tale might be told of many important dominion* of England. Australia was at one time thought fit only for convicts. It is -well within the limits of possibility that a* fortunate » future *c Ateka'a may be before some of our little kuown and lightly he-Id Pacific Iri*nde— the unexplored Solcerow, for example, otur despised bargain with Germany, or halfeavage New Guinea or Fiji .whose appeal for rrcexaticn was for many years refused.