The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-25
OUT AFTER
TOURISTS
Continued from Page 80

created as above outlined would pro-
vide sufficient sum to make an effec-
tive campaign that must produce good
results with reasonable tact and care
in expenditure. We recommend that If
the above can be agreed upon there
should be established, with headquar-
tiers at Honolulu, a permanent and eff
Gent Bureau of Information to be gov
ernei and controlled by either a joint
committee or q board of directors to be
elected from the several prominent as
sociations end chambers connected with
this movement, and to include one or
two others from the community at
large. No member, however, should be
elected to this directorate who is not
recognized either as an enthusiastic
supporter of this movement or q believ
er in it's possibilities. We recommend
that a suitable office in an available
and accessible place be maintained in
charge of a competent secretary, and
through this office all the business of
this Bureau be transacted, including
the sending of special agents, should
such be determined upon by the Board
of Control This. it seems to your
Committee, would be ample guarantee
to your subscribers as to the proper
ard careful handling of funds. Your
Committee cannot, therefore, in view
of the above recommendation, advise
the expense of any proposal for .spe
cal services that may now be before
the Associa ton, for the reason that
such matters would be properly subject
for consideration by the Bureau OF In
formation.
Now, as to the difficulties referred to
above your Committee feel that at
present a comparative few have given
this subject the consideration necessary
to convince them of the possibility Of
the project in hand, ana we suggest if
necessary every member of this Asso-
citation constitute himself a committee
to talk it up and convince the skepti-
cal. There has been in the past in all
directions a deeply-rooted idea that
everything depends upon sugar, and
that nothing can be profitably done
outside of the industry: For the fpur-
pose of argument we Will for the pres
ent admit this proposition, but we con-
tend that there was never a time when
our only industry needed support and
impetus as at present, and we suggest
that if 5000 tourists per annum were
visiting our shores there would be SUI
ficient of the Weather classes among
them who would become interested in
our securities, more particularly our
bonded stocks, to obviate a necessity
which we have all observed-of our
capitalists visiting the United States
for the purpose of raising funds neces-
Sary to carry on the plantations. Thus,
if we are correct, the amount subscrib-
ed by the plantation interests to this
fund would not exceed that expended
by the enforced travelling and other
expenses now incurred by the represen-
tatives of various enterprises who are
frequently sent forward on financial
quests.
We submit, further. that it is good
business for the planter to expend an
nually in the endeavor to increase the
NH Of h nv a de-
mand for his securities and thus bring
ing his stocks to par, sum not ex-
ceeding per cent of what he has al
ready expended in the effort to obtain
a reduction in the price of labor by in
Producing an oversupply of Asiatics.
and with equally good prospective re-
suits. Incidentally we may mention
that it takes eighteen months to pro-
duce a crop of sugar, whereas with
proper efforts we should be able to
realize a commencement of steady and
increasing tourist travel in from three
to six months. Because previous eff
forts, that have not had popular sup
port may not have met complete sue
cess, it is no argument why our pres
ent undertaking, with the endorsement
of the majority of influential interests
will not succeed permanently
We desire to draw the attention of
this Association to the great damage
that may result to this project from
the publication, either here or on the
Pacific Coast, of cartoons or literature
that utterly misrepreSent conditions in
Hawaii to our great detriment. While
we in no wise recommend unreasonable
restriction of correct and proper news
or information we deprecate and con-
denim the apparent desire of certain
correspondents in our midst who, Tor
the sake of a sensational write-up,
have been in the past in the habit of
writing articles of a character that can
only injure us and retard any efforts
that may be made. So far as the local
press is concerned, we submit that it is
absolutely within the power OF the Ho-
uolulu merchants to insist upon rea-
sonable restrictions in this respect, and
we feel that a proper representation
through our Bureau to the San Fran
cisco editors, pointing out that our
success securing tourist travel must be,
necessarily, also to their advantage
would have good results. Your Com
mittee cannot condemn too harshly any
wanton efforts or careless writing un-
substantiated by fact that will retard
the object now under consideration by
this Association.
In conclusion we beg to point out
that during the past five years many
millions of dollars have been invested
in these Islands in various enterprises.
but not as many hundreds contributed
for the purpose OF inducing tourist
travel and that whatever small
amounts may nave been expended for
this purpose has been contributed by
Individual and private interests, and
has been largely ineffective. for the
reason that it could not possibly cover
sufficient ground. From every point of
view, therefore, we contend that this
project should have universal SUPPORT
Of the population of these Islands The
time is oppOrtune. in view of the GER
tainty of our having cable at an early