The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-26
CHINESE
NEED CASH
Many Small Shops
May Have to
Close.
FIRE CLAIM FUNDS
BADLY WANTED
esses Of Two Years Past Felt
Most Severely Now Many
Vacant Stores.

n among the houses either Oriental
or dealing principally with orien-
tails. are being SO changed in Homo
lulu. due to the continuation Of the dull
season. that It is expected all business
win be on practically cash basis
within a very short time As 1t Is now
there In little credit business being
done. except with old established Gus
tonefs-
while this Is all true. there prom
ises also TO be such a wedding out of
the small dealers. who are doing busi-
neAs on small capital or expectations.
that there Will be a material reduction
In the number OF business houses and
an Increase In the number OF empty
stores
The causes leading to the pinching OF
the small dealers are 30 many that the
outlook In not for failures which lead
TO heavy losses. but simply to the clos
ing Of stores operated by men who be-
gan with small cash invested. and TO
khoun the dull season came at the most
~Yrveicorne time. The continued dull
ness. the length Of the period during
which the business community Is sim
My waiting for the realization OF hopes
for new enterprises. into which large
surns have been invested. has absorbed
most OF the ready money of the store
keepers. and they are now between
crosinR up or selling at a grsat loss
The principal cause of the Impending
rai-fortune for so many small dealers.
IL the failure OF the Territory TO meet
the losses through the great sanitary
ftrc. When the burning out OF China
town caused the loss of 30 much prop
erty and spread tiat loss over such
srreaf number OF the small dealers. IL
forced them to begin life again on
credit. both they and the wholesale
dealers who furnished the goods beiiev-
ing that there would be payment OF the
fos,<s through the fire before a great
time. The pinchinz IL just now being
felt The dealers have gone along Tor
two years. doing some business. ana
GRADUALLY getting their feet under them.
hut the dull season. which II they were
In possession of their capital would
have meant only stringency' no"
threatens more serious damage.
Another cause OF the misfortunes
rhIch are being felt by many Chinese
and japanese storekeepers. Is the fact
that when the Chinatown fire took them
.way from their old stands. they felt
the necessity for quick return to busi-
n>-s and many took new stores, which
-ntaIied higher rents than business JUS
fIdeH The result has been that the
falling or In demand for goods mas
caught them with heavy expenses ana .
mo large margin Of profit to meet the
When Chinatown itself was
! =. sHn
10 larger stores and pay higher
,~nt. All these causes have combined
len the falling of in trade TO make
the strfn1ency which threatens the ex-
ixtence Of the small dealers As IL Is
,osav there IL SO little business In what
IL known as Chinatown. except In those
stores which deal only In supplies Tor
chinese customers, that II might Wen
b. done by one-half the number OF
shops which are OPEN
Recently the condition OF business
caused a large meeting OF the Japan
"a. wboIesaIers and bankers for the
purpose OF considering Steps
1850 he taken looking TO the estao-
.-S-a,, of a closer system OF doing
,..,.tne.z As a result OF the meeting IL
-. decided that there be taken steps
90 ere nurpose Of putting all business
cash basis The discussions
-nJc, we're then had explained the III
s.nS,,,ons of Japanese trade as due
orincipaIIy to the changes in the & ,a9Ss Dor
.s,n.tion- 1t was argued that wnen tne
~orkrnen had contracts which H,n
imperative that they continue " ,h.-e
rI.re for at least three 80
90 little danger In giving - 90
80 Nov n one OF the workmen Is
tneln ua .rsdIt and upon failing to pay
si'en Sa-,and from the store
rec -. Iaborer simply leaves the
Nespss, e,Is,-Sooa quitting his Job without
n-s .c-rnunctions At ALL 1t was sala
nv the japanese merchants prese pen ,he %
.<S- meeting that the laoorers D.I1- w. OF !
Sf.ntatious now work Only 49,, mt IN !
\ month. where formerly 80 ty,cressetI
-. naid they do not earn any NOR
(continued on Page %