Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/696

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574 UNITED STATES: — HAWAII

fisheries of the Piibilof Islands are under the charge of the Federal Depart- ment of Commerce and Labour.

The salmon fisheries are very valuable, and Government has provided for their preservation by securing legislative enactments for the construction and maintenance of hatcheries. The annual catch of salmon is valued at over 14,000,000 dollars. Halibut, cod, herring, and whales are also caught, the heiriug and whales for the manufacture ot oil and manure.

Gold is worked in South- East Alaska, where a low gi-ade ore is found in the interior on the Yukon river; and at Nome and other places on the west coast. The out-put of gold in 1911 was estimated at 806,179 fine ounces of the value of 16,665,200 dollars, and of silver at 468,300 fine ounces of the value of 252,900 dollars. Copper in 1911 was extracted to the amountof 22,314,889 pounds, valued at 2,789,361 dollars. There has recently been an increase in the production of this metal. Tin ore deposits near Cape Prince of Wales are of a high grade; two companies work them, but climatic conditions are unfavourable. Lead is produced; coal is worked; petroleum, gypsum, and marble are found. The total mineral output in 1911 Avas valued at 20,072,420 dollars (including some lead, but no tin, though a quantity of tin ore was shipped to Germany).

The value of the domestic merchandise shipped from the United States to Alaska in the year 1912 amoimted to 18,809,270 dollars; from Alaska to the United States 21,597,712 dollars, besides gold ore and bullion. In the year 1912 487 vessels of 510,509 tons cleared from the United States for Alaska, and 594 of 505,412 from Alaska for the United States. The chief poj'ts of shixunent of the United States to Alaska are on Puget Sound.

There is a railway of 112 miles from Skagway to the White Horse Rapids (in the Canadian Yukon region); thence transport is by coach or, in summer, by steamer. The Tanana Mines Railway has 50 miles of line open, connecting Chena, Fairbanks, and Vault Creek The Solomon River Railway has 60 miles of line open north from Dickson on Seward Peninsula. The Copper River and North Western Railway completed its line (standard gauge) from Cordova to Kennecott, a distauf^e of 197 miles, in 1911. The Alaskan towns are connected with the United States and with Canada by telegraph. There are about 140 post-offices and good mail services in the territory.

References.

Commercial Alaska. In Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance of the United States for July, 1903. Washington.

Compilation of Narratives of Explorers, 1869-99. Washington, 1900.

Annual Report of the Governor. Washington.

Report on Education in Alaska. In Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Education for 1905. Vol. I. Washington, 1907.

Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington.— Geographic Dictionary of Alaska. By Marcus Baker. 2d ed. U.S. Geological Survey,

Fur Seals in Alaska. Hearings before the Committee of Ways and Means, House of Representatives. March 9 and 10, 1904, Washington.

Bruce (M.), Alaska: Its History, Resources, &c. London.

Higginson (Ella), Alaska— the Great Country. New York and London, 19U9

HAWAII. Government. — The Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands formed during the greater part of the nineteenth century an independent kingdom, but in 1893 the reigning Queen, Liliuokalani, was deposed and a provisional government formed; in 1894 a Republic was proclaimed, and in accordance with a resolution of Congress of July 7, 1898, the Islands were on August 12, 1898, formally annexed to the United States. On June 14, 1900, they were