The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-05
BUYING FIR LUMBER SEATTLE AND HAWAII
J. w. elise TELLS HOW TO GET
TRADE
He Is Managing Director of The Globe
Navigation Company Says Agents
Are of Little Use

Are OF Little Use.
SEATTLE, Wash. April 1S.-"what
Seattle merchants should do If they
would have the trade of Hawaii is to
go to the islands and study the condi-
tiOns there. That seems to me the pest
and most effective way for Seattle to
secure her share Of the trade with the
rich mid-Pacifc possessions of the
United States"
Such in effect We're the observations
of J. W. elise, president of the Cham
her of Commerce, and managing uireC-
tor of the Globe Navigation Company,
yesterday afternoon during an interest
ing discussion OF his recent visit to Ha-
wall. Mr. elise returned from the ISL
ands a passengers on the steamship
Moana, of the Canadian Australian line.
He disembarked at Vancouver, arriving
home Wednesday evening.
As president Of the Chamber of Com
merce and managing Director of the
Globe line, Mr.. elise had a two-fold
purpose in visiting the islands.
Il wanted" he said continuing Ito
personally find out conditions there. 1t
| is difficult for one, save through per-
sOnal investigation to familiarize him
! self with affairs in the islands.
THE result of my investigation is
| that / can see large business with the
] lSlblluS LOT TIE 4NOllllNtS anu tSlltNHltll-
/ ly Seattle. Up to the present we have
not had out share of this trade because
we have made but little effort for it.
! We have been too much given to de-
pending upon our agents. Almost nee
| essarily the results have been small in
| proportion to the opportunities offered
Indeed, it may be surprising to many
| to know that many of our cOmmodities
go to Hawaii not from Seattle and other
Sound cities, as they should, but
/ through San Francisco. Again, Hawaii
! is having unloaded upon her the inferior
productions of the country to the south
of us. Our products are superior and
/ fill the wants of the Hawaiians much
| better than do those of California"
Can Seattle win from San Francisco
the trade which she has so long main
/ tanned with the islands," was asked.
There is the point exactly. Until the
present it has been very difficult to take
that trade from San Francisco But the
( time is at hand when we can. 1t is now.
"A few years ago Hawaii sold her SUI
! gar for $50 to 800 a ton. The price FOR
the past thirty days has been from SIS
to SCI. Such conditions have forced the
| planters to adopt new methods so as to
. cheaper the cost of pToduC zion. AS one
important step, the island planters
| have i'm two years purchased SiOOOO,OOO
| worth of improved machinery and APP
DlldlttS. % llLdN tstldg bllt N''N VI
production of cane sugar ON the Ha-
waiian islands is cheaper than in any
other place in the world
/ Mr.. elise would not go into an eN-
PLANTATION as to the reason for his be-
lief that the people Of Hawaii are in
better position now than ever before 10
trade with the Northwest. However 1t
is well known that the planters of tie
islands are no longer tied up financially
with the capitalists and business men
in San Francisco and other California
cities. The plantations as rule are in
CorpOrated and the stock in these com
panes and corporations is held and
owned all over the United states. 1t
has to a very large extent passed out of
Z the hands of san Francisco capitalists.
. The new stockholders are disposed o.
trade with such cities of the United
I States as offer than the greatest Op-
: portunities. With them there is no
t sentiment 1t is matter of business.
| The trade with the plantations of
t course has to be carried on through the
, merchants of Honolulu and HilO, the
l two principal ports of the islands.
- "All our merchants have to do is to
p seek this trade" Mr.. elise said and
6 deal fairly and frankly with the people
I over there. Let us familiarize our
q selves. Such Of our houses as have
q made a real effort for trade i'm the ISL
= factory share too. Take, for instance
= the Seattle Brewing q Mailing Com
:, pany, the Centennial Mill, and John b
Agen. All these houses do a good bust
ness over there Mr. Agen is not now
owing to some unfavorable legislation
( doing SO much there. But he told me
t that he found Honolulu most salts
Il factory city to trade with. The people
p of the Islands pay their bills. There arr
c no bad accounts-practically no loss
e from such cause.
e Seattle beer is in great demand. In
Il deed, our breweries have done more t
J. advertise Seattle i'm southern seas thai
: all other agencies combined. l fOunt
them using nothing but Seattle beer oil
= the Moana.
I, There is a vast amount of shipping
l. done in connection with the islands
II Last year G62 vessels entered and clear
ed from the ports of Honolulu and Hilo
There is business calling the vessels o
the sea to those rich islands, else the
would not be found there. Take tn
sugar industry. Fifty-eight plantation
yielded $2S, 900, 600 worth of the produc
70 last year. 1t is a great trade, an
20 Seattle should strive for il. In fact,
~ believe that with the proper effort W
50 can build up a trade with the island
~ which will be worth almost as much I
so US as that OF Alaska"