The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-17
THE COFFEE INDUSTRY.

The Advertisers remarks on the cof-
fee industry, and the Bulletins rather
savage rejoinder, indicate that the
spectators in coffee lands have been
touched. Whenever any person or pa
per advises caution in new enterprises,
the boomers" instantly yell out pes
simism."
We have regarded and do regard the
coffee industry as one of the most i'm
portant agencies in securing good civ
ilization here Indeed it seems at
times, as if it was the last ditch of the
Anglo-Saxon on these Islands. We have
believed in the Governments promo
ton of the industry, as a political
measure, without any limit whatever
as to cost, and in such a wise manner
as to prevent the arrest of the flourish
ing growth of Hawaii and the town of
Hilo.
the coffee, or other industries, is the
crank and boomer. The highways OF
America, from Florida to California
are white with the bones of those who
have persisted with the boom" disease.
We have been repeatedly told that the
majority of the fruit ranches of Cali
fornia are mortgaged beyond redemp-
ton. Their owners have been cruelty
misled by cranks and boomers who are
honest enough, but have no time for
bottom facts.
Our coffee industry is too supremely
valuable to be exposed to the ravages
of the "boom" pest, which we notice
has been spreading rapidly.
Regarding the value Of our coffee,
we believe in coming down out of the
clouds, and doing some practical work.
There are men in Chicago and New
York who deal in coffee by the millions
of pounds, and can size UP the value OF
ours. The judgments of these men have
value. The sooner we get rid of ''the
experienced man who says Hawaiian
coffee is the finest in the world" the
better it will be- We need the opinion
of the trade. We have not got it. When
the Bulletin says that our coffees are
worth cents per pound more than the
Brazilian, it gives its own guesses, and
not the opinions of the men who fix the
prices of coffee. We hope our coffee is
worth 20 cents per pound more than
the Brazilian. Why does not the Bull
letin publish some accounts of sales
made by Folger & Company?
The coffee trade knows a good thing
when It sees it. The trade is not made
up of fools.
We took the trouble, last July, to
consult one of the largest wholesale
grocery houses of New Yory City, on a
proposition to introduce Hawaiian cot
fee to the retail trade OF the Atlantic
States. The comments made, by men
who handle more coffee of all kinds in
one day, than have been produced in
these Islands from the beginning, dc
not quite agree with those of the Bull
letin
The prices of coffee are unusually
depressed, and will recover. But wha'
we need, and should have had long ago
is not the boom" opinions of the ever
present experienced man, but thu
cold judgments of the coffee trade it
self. Will the Bulletin publish some o
the sales accounts returned by Folgel
& Company, San Francisco, to some o
our coffee shippers? We suggest tina
the Bulletin ask H. Hackfeld & Com
pany, Limited, about the large Euro
pean markets for our coffee. We have
not the least intimation of what thei
reply would be.
The Advertiser calls for the "pessi
mistic" bottom facts, nothing more
The coffee industry must not be trifiet
with.