The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-16
NEW ENTERPRISE.

The establishment of a steamer which
shall be devoted entirely to cold stor-
age is another step in advance. The
enterprise of the Honolulu Market
Company should meet with success. It
promises an unlimited supply of the
best meat, making contracts with the
leading cattle firm of the west, and as
sures us of a thoroughly satisfactory
supply of an article that is the main
stay of life, but of which the home
supply was inadequate.
1t is not so much the meat supply,
however, which will be benefited. We
already have meat brought from the
Mainland and from Australia in cold
storage. 1t is the return cargo in which
the Territory is particularly interested.
1t is very important to us that we
should extend our trade in fruit 1t is
one of the minor industries which can
engage the attention, and bring profit to
the small farmer.
Our export of bananas has been In
the lead among smaller products for
many years, amounting to quite res
pectable sum, and pineapple culture has
made some Roadway. But bananas had
to be picked very green so that they
might ripen on the voyage up, and very
frequently punches, and even whole
shipments have been spoiled.
Again, the fruit which has been sent
to the Coast has been entirely from the
Island of Oahu. 1t was impossible to
ship bananas from the other Islands to
connect with the steamers going to the
Coast. An effort was made to ship by
means of schooners direct from Kona,
Hawaii but the effort came to an end.
1t did not prove a successful expert
ment. Hilo was also DESTROYS of en-
tering the banana and fruit trade, and
when projecting his Hamakua railroad
the late S. G.. Wilder always looked
forward to the gulches and lands not
suitable for sugar cane, being used for
the cultivation of fruit, which would be
taken by rail to Hilo, and thence ship
ped to the Coast. The idea was in adj
vance of it's time, but it will be real
lied now.
The cold storage steamer which
brings down the meats from the Coast
will take back full cargo of fruit also
in cold storage. The steamer need not
be only loaded in Honolulu; she could
proceed from here to Hilo, or to Kahu-
lui, or to Hama, and there add to her
cargo. This would lay the foundation
of a trade which would grow to large
proportions, and would give an oppor-
tunity for people of small means to go
into remunerative business. That our
Islands can support very much larger
population and very different kind of
population, all thinkers agree. This
will afford one means of acquiring an
Independent population, similar in
character to the colony at Wahiawa,
which is proving a very satisfactory
venture, and is the pioneer of many
similar ventures.
AS the fruit will be taken up in cold
storage it will not have to be sold right
away, but it could be forwarded inland,
thus increasing the radius of our mar
ket. Moreover, classes of fruit, like the
alligator pear, which it has been i'm
pOSslDle 10 get 10 ildThet III proper con-
dition will be able to be shipped, and
will be as good at the end of a week or
ten days voyage as they are the day
they are picked If we can put tropical
fruit in good condition upon the Main
land market, we shall find that the
taste for it will grow, and we can ex-
pand our area of cultivation in this
direction to many times what it is now.