The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-05
WORK FOR
COFFEE TAX
Merchants Plan to
Take Up the
Fight.
Or. KNAPP NAY
ASSIST IN IT
Association Will Be Called Togsths,
to Hear Rspori Of the Spsciai
Committee.

| De one OF the things 10 which the Mer-
chants Association will turn its hand
and time. II the plans which ara re-
ceiving the assent Of many Of the mem
oers. go through The Committee on
Trade and Finance. TO which was turn
ed over the matter as brought forward
in the communication Of A L. Louis
son, last week, has already held a meet
ing with DR.. Knapp and as a result
there will be soon a meeting OF the as
/ sociation. ar which time the committee
viii report its findings
The meeting Of the committee with
DR. Knapp was most enjoyable one
and the members received much infor-
nation OF the coffee industry Of the
world and what may be expected Of
the new possessions of the United
/ States in particular The committee
was composed of Messrs. +. ] Lowrey
and II. A. Isenb berg. Wee President Di-
niond being the third member serving
/ in place OF Mr. Wakefield, who is alb
sent The can was made upon the
I expert Of the United States Depart
ment by arrangement. and there was
a long discussion OF matters related 10
/ the industry which il IS proposed 70
protect The committee VIII have re-
! port made 70 The association and none
OF the members win discuss II in ad-
vance.
Dr. s. A Knapp. who is the travel
ing agent Of the department. has had
many interviews since his arrival. and
VIII be in a position 70 give much in
! formation concerning the business here
upon his return 70 TIE Capital The
most important conclusion to which he
has arrived, al least which he has
communicated 70 his friends. is that
he VIII advocate the establishment OF
an experiment station here for the
study Of the coffee industry. DR.. Knapp
does not think il wise TO inaugurate
a great work. but his plan is said 20
be the formation Of a station which win
be given To the consideration Of all the
phases Of the culture and treatment OF
coffee While there viii be no regular
plantation for the Investigations. it is
proposed that II the department shall
undertake the work. there shall be sent
on here man who viii be a scientific
expert in coffee. who may secure from
growers the privilege OF using some Of
their now producing trees for his in
vestigations and thus avoid the long
wait which would come if there should
he necessary the cultivation of a new
plantation before the experiments
might ne made.
AS to the pushing Of the matter Of
a tariff protecting coTees grown in the
United States and its dependencies Dr.
Knapp is said 10 be very hopeful that
there VIII b. something done during
this year He has given his friends
II
vocate such a tariff duty and that he
viii go into the --ork as soon as he re-
turns To Washington Il is said TO be
his opinion that there is not necessary
any great amount OF protection TO give
an impetus 70 the business.
There has been an understanding
that the planters here viii favor duty
Of seven cents pound, but this is said
70 be a greatr sum than could be
hoped for. and some OF the earnest
friends Of the industry are said To be Of
opinion that there would be stability
given to the business in the event of a
tariff Of one half that sum It is al
legged that DR.. Knapp comedies with
this view Of the situation.
The following letter relative to the
coffee growers here has been received:
Editor Advertiser: Without prompt
legislation for the protection Of the
coffee industry in the Hawaiian Isl |
ands or other Of the United States pos |
sessions the prospects Of them ever be
coming a factor in the United States
markets are very remote and discOuT-
aging We see The worlds surplus
growing heavier year by year and |
prices declining accordingly. until
South American cofTees are down 10
90 10 5Lec per IL. and while The Ha-
wa.ian coffee on account Of its dese-v- /
ing popularity brings shade better
price than the South American article. !
the prices above mentioned are what
We have 70 compete against al the
present time
What arguments have so far been
advanced appear to consider that an
import duty by the United states
would solve The rsbienl. and the mat {
ter Of me present large and increasing
sale II aduIterated coffee and iInita-
tions have been overlooked.
While the import duty would no
doubt b4 OF some benefit. il would II |
reality De So much greater induceTne'1
for the manufacture 10 meet Compel
tion win a larger percentage u adui- +
tera.ion and would nuI increase the
price realized BY the grower compare .
lively with the duty imposed
while I have no statistics before NE.
7 would make a conservative estimate
that there are al least 1000 pounds OF
chicory and over 1GH. Gee pounds of Ger
cal Imitation c-F-e consumed II th-
Hawaiian Islands par year. i IS doubt
ful whether there j. - large q psrcea-
rac= II aduIterat=d coffee used
Throughout the United Sla.as as in
this Territory bur as soon as there
would be q duty placed on coffee. with
out any protection from the a1uitsr-
I'd article W. would discover large
deficit IN The consumption Of rhe GEM
i7- coffee. Il appears 10 me- soIu-