The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-06-18
San Francisco Is
Treated to a
Surprise.
Gets One Cargo at Low
Rates, Now Cries
for More.
Demand for Fruit Grows and the
Canneries Have Ready Market
for Goods.

Just because they did not know theil
value San Francisco merchants once
got pineapples so cheap. that while
they served as a great advertisement
they drove out of the business the can
same merchants want Hawaiian pine
apples, want them badly and have sent
agents here TO find out what chance
there is to get them.
Now that there is pack of pine
apples being put up. finding a ready,
| even an anxious market at fine prices,
! the story back of that demand is of in
| terest. When the Pearl City cannery
started it was without preliminary
work in the way of securing a trade
| for the goods. So it was that when the
| pack was made. it was shipped to Will
! liams, Dimond & Co. at San Francisco.
That firm was doing nothing in the
way of merchandise and was not able
to place the goods successfully. The
price asked was fair, something around
81 a dozen tins. but they would not
move
After keeping the goods on hand for
long time, finally a sale was effected
at S1.25 a dozen or $3.50 a case. At this
price the pineapples went with rush
The wholesalers q bsorbed the whole lot,
distributed them to retailers and at
once there arose a new demand. Peo-
Sumatra and Singapore, Immediately
demanded the Hawaiian fruit, and
since the wholesalers had made big
profit they responded quickly with a
demand here for more, but the price re-
ceived for the shipment was so much
below cost and freight, that the can
ming company went out of business
and now sugar grows where pineap-
pies once thrived.
The inquiry for Hawaiian pineapples
still continues and as Mr.. Edgar
Lewis. who came down from San Fran
cisco last week, said yesterday: II
have been asked frequently if we could
not furnish canned pineapples for the
trade. One wholesaler said he was
willing to take 1000 cases. All I |
could tell him was that the price paid |
for the first shipment was so small that !
the cannery was compelled to close
Down. confidently believe that all the
fruit that could be canned here would
find immediate and ready market
Mr.. Harry Lewis said he was of the
same opinion as he had personally
made investigation as to the quality of
he pineapples. He says he found that
he Singapore pineapples were taste
ess, though the appearance was fine,
While the Hawaiian pineapples were
un of juice and taste, and in every
way superior.
The interest taken in the Hawaiian
pineapple crop has proven immense.
Already three of the greatest houses of
IAN Francisco have sent here repre-
to make an effort to secure
he entire pack of the islands under I
ontract. This has not been done but
ONE of the packers have indicated 3
heir willingness to enter into agree I
lents for the sale of all of their goods
-hich are to be sent outside of the
stands.
One of the greatest uses for canned
ineapples lies in the saloons. For i
,,,cbas ar5 -;,,,;1ar ,,,;x+,ras fOr hot
-eather consumption. the long slices
cross the pineapple are used. and so i
reat has become the demand for this |
lass of goods. that one of the local |
anneries will make its entire export
ack Of this shape.
The superiority of the Hawaiian {
ineappIes is said to be due to several
oints, one being that the Singapore
nd Sumatra pines are of inferior
rade. while the center of the Ameri-
IN canning industry is at Baltimore,
here the supply of the raw material
,mes from the Bermudas and Florida,
ust be picked green and ripen on the
ay. which precludes the full flavor +
hich marks the Hawaiian fruit.
There is still one of the greatest sup p
" houses in San Francisco which 2
,nnot secure Hawaiian pineapples,
nd which is in the market 10 con-
act for a great pack. if only there
some one to send it. The good prices I
afng realized are due in part to the a
.iIure of the crop of the South. where \
lere has been a bad summer for the
uit. and where the output will be -
lIy a small proportion Of the supply Il
seded.