The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-23
THINGS ABOUT COFFEE

We print in another column, a very |
valuable letter on the coffee industry |
prepared by Mr.. Chas. D. Miller or !
Hookena. He misunderstood our refer !
ence to experienced men" in the COT |
fee business, but he will understand it !
now. He is one of the men who has !
large practical knowledge of the bust |
mes. and we believe, would not lead the !
tenderfoot astray.
In our comments on the market value !
of Hawaiian coffee, we challenged the
statement made in the Bulletin that it
is worth cents per pound more than
the Brazilian Mr.. Miller says he is not
prepared to say that the statement IS
true. Here we have an illustration Of
the point, we made, that the value Of
our coffees has not yet been determined
in the great markets of the world. Al
though our planters have now been en-
gagged in the business for four or more
wears. on a considerable scale, there
seems to have been no serious and de-
termined effort to find it's place in the
markets. Mr. Miller suggests, very
properly, that its value will largely de-
pend upon it's cultivation and prepare
ton. This at once puts new phase
on the question, so far as beginners are
concerned. The tenderfoot is led to be-
lieve that coffee is coffee, and then he
is told by an experienced man tnot
of Mr.. Niller's sort) that it is ''the best
in the world
This letter is exceedingly valuable
IT shows that we are yet in the expert
mental stage of this industry, although
we have many reasons to believe tha'
it will become a most valuable IN
dustry.
Our solicitude is about the deadly Ell
feet of reactions, in the business par
of the industry. We have too much a
stake to permit them, if they can %
avoided.
Unfortunately in our America
way of doing things, we have no
developed the industry gradually. l
has been assumed at once that there /
ssa small fortune in it," without a tul
and careful consideration of what otn
er countries are doing in the same busl
ness. The history of industries IN a
countries in the United States especl
allv. is that of bitter disappointment
nv the many, owing to exaggerate
homes. and insufficient staying power.
Nor is. the industry developing here
on the best lines for the social and pc
1itical advantage of the Islands, so ia
as population is concerned. We haV
regarded it as a most fortunate an
desirable opening for the small An
erican farmer, who possesses some An
erican civilization. For this purpose
required. and requires, strong, persl'
tent energy on the part of the Govern
ment to secure that end. The openin
of land is not sufficient. The inVltauo
of immigration is not sufficient. I'll
difficult problem is to reach the rlgi
class of immigration and bring it her
Rut the Government is not just1tie
in doing this, until it has settled II
value of our coffee in the markets
tho world. Intelligent work on the
lines should, before this, have Sc
fled it's value, so that every TACT pr
scented to the immigrant or tenderto(
would be a bottom fact. 1t is Tor o
nolitical good that the coffee lndusU
should not be .unreasonably depresse
The only way to avoid it, is to preve
the boom pest from destroying It,
.7s----