Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43089, 7 May 1907, Page 3

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.

The Alaska -Yukon-Pacific Exposition, which will be held at Seattle, "Washington, U.S.A., opening June 1, and closing October 15, 1909, will be in relation to the world’s levelopment, one of the greatest world’s fairs aver held.

The primary purpose of the exposition is :o exploit the resources and potentialities of ;he Alaska and Yukon territories in the United States and Dominion of Canada, and o make. known and foster the vast imjortance of the trade of the Pacific Ocean and >f the countries bordering upon it. Different rom former expositions it does not depend ipon historical sentiment to arouse enhusiasm and to induce participation. It rill not celebrate any particular event; it rill be a great international industrial and ommercial exposition. The Exposition will have cost about 1T, 000,000d01. on opening day. On October !, last, five months after the incorporation of he exposition company, which was effected lay 7, the people of Seattle were called upon o finance the enterprise by subscribing in «e day to its capital stock of 510,000d01. Che generous and public spirited manner in rhieh they responded by over-subscribing to he extent of 150,000, making the total mount available with which to begin work, 50,000, is now history. No other city for ny purpose ever equalled such a feat. More han half a million dollars in one day is a irge amount of money to be raised in a city f 200,000 inhabitants. An average of more han 300 was subscribed for every man, voman and child in the city. The State of Washington has appropriated ,000,000dols and the United States Senate las passed a bill providing for £700,000 to be pent fnr the participation of Alaska, Hawaii, md the Philippines. Many other states have nade ample provision for displays and it is ixpected that at least twenty-five commonwealths will take part.

It will be the aim of the world’s fair to exploit Alaska and Yukon by showing to the vorld by exhibits that these two countries possess many things besides snow, cold and fold. Few persohs realise the great possi(ilities and advantages of these countries. Resides the gold, fish and fur resources, there ,re many others that are only beginning to is developed, and which offer unusual iu.ucement for the employment of capital and i lividual effort.

The mineral resources have been only (matched on the surface, and the agricultural lossibilities are only beginning to he realised. Llaska and Yukon will soon be able to suport millions of people with practically all the ixuries enjoyed by those living in other ifirta of Canaka and the United States

The foregoing statements are borne out by he example of Finland. The little country ies wholly north of the 60th parallel, while riaska reaches six degrees south of this ititude. Finland is less than one-fourth the

ize of Alaska, and its agricultural area is less han 50,000 square miles, yet in 1898 Fli,ffld had a population of more than 2,600,000, rhereas Alaska now has only 93,000 inhabimts. Agriculture is the chief pursuit. Only bout 300,000 persons dwell in cities. Finmd exports large quantities of dairy proucts, live stock, flax and considerable grain, nd the 'population has increased 800,000 in he past thirty years, in spite of the large migration. Yukon is in nearly the same latitude as Llapka, and the resources and advantages iffer very little from those of the American erritory. Alaska and Yukon will be on exiibition in 1909. They have the goods and rill have a chance to show them. They annot~make headway with the peoplel the} convince by displaying to them polesr gild 3d cubes representing gold produo - ions. The people want to see the real gold, he real coal, the real timber, the real coppei tnd the real agricultural productions. Tin esults cannot fail to be beneficial.

The bringing of the shores of the Paelfii )cean closer together commercially, will bi nother important accomplishment of the aiy. This will be done by the exhibition of He products and resources of the countries (ordering upon the greatest of oceans. There ire great possibilities for an increase in the rade of the countries of North and South America with those of the Orient and Oceania md vice versa.

All countries haring possessions in the Pacific a@ Great Britain, France, Germany,! Russia, and the Netherlands, will also be] nvited to participate. The Exposition itself will be well worth a rip across a continent or an ocean to see. The grounds and buildings will be made (riginal in every possible way. The site 155 acres in extent, is the unused portion of he campus of the University of Washington, i state institution, and borders for more tha.i i mile. and a half on Lake Union and Lake iYashington, the latter being the largest body >i fresh water in the Pacific North-west.

Different from former world’s fairs, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition will include the erection of permanent buildings in its plan. Several of the main exhibit palaces will be substantially built and the University of Washington will use them for educational purposes after the fair closes.