The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-06
GETTING TOURISTS.

Erditor dyertiser:-Several months
ago there appeared in the San Fran
| cisco Chronicle an article, illustrated
with a picture of Honolulu nesting at
! tba foot Of Punchbowl, supposedly
dangerous volcano, giving vivid de-
scriptfon of the panic-stricken conol-
ton of our citizens and the grave GAN
ger that constantly threatened u.s. Inc
! article Furthermore stated that kiiauea
vas i'm eruption, the people fleeing for
their lives. etc, etc. It was dated 'Ho-
roluIu." and was evidently written by
some one here. The writer has been IN
formed on the most reliable authority
that the author was local journalist,
and if this could be proven against MIN,
he should be shown up in his true col
ors to the public at large and reap the
results that are his due. A man VINO
will bring about financial damage TO
the community in which he lives for
the sake of few dollars and some
newspaper pyrotechnics is only fit, at
the least, for public eXecration. me
object of the writer was evidently to
make it appear as if Honolulu was
possible Pompeii or st. Pierre, and TINS
idea being taken up and greatly en-
larged upon by the Eastern press, has
uuquestionably done US here very
serious injury. Tourists are not com
ing to a place where the chances are
good for a speedy trip to Kingdom
Come while investors are not going to
put their money where it may possibly
be burned up in about two minutes.
Our volcano has ever been a source OF
great revenue to the Islands through
the tourists that it attracts and the ad-
yertising that they do for US after they
leave here. Now through the above
mentioned article, and others kindred
to it, the present eruption, instead OF
helping us, as it should, Will have the
contrary effect unless some energetic
action is taken which will put the facts
as they actually are before the public.
AS an illustration of how people on
the mainland look at it, the writer has
received three separate letters from rel
atives and friends, begging him to
leave such a dangerous locality for
good. We are entirely too easy-going
here in many things. The U. 5. trans
ports have been giving US the go1by,
calling at Nagasaki, a. foreign port, and
as a result hundreds and thousands of
dollars have been spent in Japan and
elsewhere that should have been spent
here, and which would have been spent
her if we had only registered substan-
tia1 kick with the proper authorities.
When the Spanish war broke out all
the transport service on the Pacific was
from San Francisco, but only for a
short time. Seattle, Washington,
promptly made a protest that was
heard all over the Union, and as a re-
suit they got their share and are build
ing men of war and cruisers for the
government. 1t would well pay the
Chamber Of Commerce or Merchants
Association to see that Kilauea in it's
present condition be properly advertis-
ed, by well Illustrated articles in news
papers and periodicals. A small map,
showing the actual location of the ac-
tive volcanoes and their distance from
Honolulu, would also be of ineStimable
benefit. 1t would pay us to have some
advertising matter of this description
printed here locally and mailed to ev-
cry small postoffice in the United States
with requests for distribution. AS Hilo
has now no hotel accommodations, it
would help the good work along and in
cidentally help the Wilder S. s. Co., if
they would change the time Of sailing
of their Hilo boat, SO that tourists
could reach the volcano the same day
they reach Hilo.
If well written, we'll illustrated arti-
.cle was sent to the Associated Press,
would it not be very acceptable to
them. and be published all over the
world? People here as a rule have no
idea how little the world at large
knows about the Hawaiian Islands.
The writer, in a business way, deals
with large numbers of tourists and has
found that a considerable proportion of
them think before they arrive here that
short ferries connect the various islands
and that active volcanoes are clustered
around Honolulu.
We do not begin to take advantage
of our wondrous country, our climate
n
the earnest wish of the writer that the
press and the proper authorities will
take this matter up, energetically and
at once.
We have suffered much through hav-
ing an ignoramus at Washington, who
cared more for tram-car bills than he
did for his ex-Queen or his country, but
do not let us err as well through lazy
inactivity. CITIZEN.
% Inquiries by the Advertiser have
not fixed the blame for the sensational
Punchbowl article upon any local jour
nalist The author is supposed to be a
former newspaper employee here, then
doing space work for the Chronicle.
Whoever he was he sacrificed the truth
and the interests of Hawaii to his de-
sire to sell sensational canard at the
rates paid for news.
(2) There should, as our CORE
spondent says, have been kick about
the diversion of the transports The
hint is one that should not be lost, in
case of future opportunity, upon Ho-
nolulu commercial bodies.
(3) Advertising matter, illustrated or
otherwise, is not handled by the Asso-
ciated Press. 1t does not deal in write
ups of any kind, its function being to