The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-29

! Francisco. and I was most interested
and entertained to see almost all tn,
passengers and their friends adorned
with beautiful flower wreaths, many
almost covered with them: and a VERY
charming custom it is to retain and
hope it will die hard.
When one remembers that Il Is only
some three years since the country was
taken over by the United States, the
great strides that have been made in 81
short time is simply marvellous. The
number of banks. merchants offices
public schools and colleges give me, as
an Englishman, a most exalted idea OF
What Americans can do when they
"mean it, and put their minds, money
and hands to 1t with a will. hear OF
one large mercantile firm here who on
ly opened their new offices and ware
house a few days since. the buildings
of which cost well on to one million
dollars, and which buildings are as ele-
gantly and extravagantly finished as
the best banking house in London.
I have not had time yet even to
glance over the statistics of the i'm
ports into the country, but with regard
to the exports. I believe sugar Is the
one malnstay of the country. and OF
which the gross export amounts to
about $50, 900 tons annually, which, at
S65 per ton (tl1e present ruling price,
would bring the total value to close on
twenty-five million dollars, or in Eng
fish, five million pounds sterling a
very pretty basis to work upon and to
build up this city.
1 have been paying heightened VISIT
to the various West India Islands. and
/ found with the exception only of one
or two of the islands, where they have
gone in for growing cocoa extensively,
and which is highly profitable, that the
planters and merchants were all nearly
hopelesSly ruined by the great fall in
the price of sugar and find themselves
with little else to fall back upon. I do
not wish for moment to take any
pessimistic views, but now when your
mills are producing such enormous
Quantities. would it not be as we'll to
look ahead little and have two strings
to the bow in case of a further wrong
turn in the market in sugar. and fear
Ing that before the end of the year the
world may have a surplus of two mil
lions OF tons OF sugar brought about bv
over production
Jamaica is exporting bananas now to
the value of five million dollars. ninety
per cent of which is shipped to New
York, but / fear Honolulu Is too close
70 the great fruit producing country of
California to compete In this.
The visitors and tourists to Hawaii
viii be ever increasing and will materi
Ally affect the welfare of the country.
IN Los Angeles, Southern California,
where 1 have recently spent month or
wo, they have at present annually 300, |
100 visitors. all OF a wealthy money |
spending class. and with the number
II steamers to Honolulu. greatly en-
lanced speed and much lower rates of
,assage which will be brought abnut /
When the numerous large steamers now |
ngaged as transports to South Africa
re released. and with the daily in
reasing numbers being launched (to
ny mind in advance OF the commercial
maritime requirements OF the age).
here will be fifty If not one hundred
-isitors to these beautiful Islands to
ach individual one coming now.
I will only picture this place twenty
ears hence to be on a parallel of pros
Gritty and development with Los An
eles and Pasadena, in Southern Cali
lrnia and anyone who knows what
nose places are today viii be perfectly
ltisfed with the golden era I predict.