The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-08-04
TOURISTS VIEWS
ON HAWAII mel

| "Kona presents a prosperous appear
terday, but 1 am told that there Is
no money there. Between Kailua and
the port where we left the steamer
there appeared to be about u thous-
and homes presenting a healthy APP
pearan e, but l am told there is not
much behind them in the way of mon
| ey.
| 1.-THE small farmer, as you call him,
farms only enough to supply his needs
| in the eating line; he ships nothing
to market on account of freight rates.
Kona seems to me to be capable OF
supporting a population of fifty thous-
and people and it would If the trans
portation companies would offer some
inducement to the farmers to grow
products for export Perhaps this
may come within the powers of the
railway commission to regulate, / am
not familiar with it, but / amp told
that preference is shown certain of
your products. One of your railroad
companies, whether it is the one on
this island, or that at the capital, 1
am not sure, has regulated it's rates
so as to conform with the regulations
of the commission. If railroads do
this it seems to me that it might be
extended to steamship companies to
good advantage to the country.
"In my opinion there is sufficient
natural attractions here for tourists
but you must enlighten us as to what
you have. We of the East and I
guess the people of the middle West
are the same. ere lacking in informa-
tion regarding the islands. Literature
Is as scarce as hens teeth and until
you place it in the hands of people
who travel you need not expect an
influx of tourists. The country must
be advertised just as California has
been. Your mammoth sugar planta-
lions are a sight worth many miles
of travel to inspect. I have visited
Eva, passed near the large one on the
other side of this island and went
pretty we'll over Olaa. The work at
the latter place has been something
wonderful and in time it should be a
paying proposition.
"But your sugar stocks are down
and it seems to me it is a good time
to buy. The more tourists you bring
here the better your industries will be-
come known; they may invest in your
stocks and create demand for them.
Another thing which should be brought
to the attention of the people on the
mainland is the possibilities for the
farmer. You have thousands of acres
here unoccupied and we have thous-
ands of men on the mainland looking
for just the opportunities which this
country offers. Get hundred intelli-
gent white farmers in the Kona dis
trict and the freight rates would soon
be regulated. They can grow between
seasons what California has not and
their products should bring good re-
turns. There should be a harvest here
for the grazier. l understand you pay
about three times as much for your
beef as we do in the East. Evidently
the demand exceeds the supply there
fore it is for settlers to go into the
business of raising beef cattle. The
lands in Kona seem to me to be well
adapted to that business and it should
be a success. You cannot however,
expect people to come to the Terrific
ry until facts are made known to
them. Your Board of Trade should
take this matter up and get out liter
ature. What Hawaii wants is capital
what this island needs is better trans
portation facilities. A railroad should
tap every plantation, every village on
this island, and when you have that
Hilo will be a city of Importance. 7
have visited Oahu and Maui and I
have gone over this island as much as
my time will permit. I would like to
have gone by carriage to the other
end of the island but my time will
not allow and I will return to the
Coast by the Enterprise. This is con-
venient, by the way, for tourists who
do not want to pay Honolulu a sec
ond visit after seeing the Volcano.
Hilo Herald.