The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-06-26
HoNoLuLUs TOURIST QUESTION.

| HONOLULUS TOURIST QUESTION.
1t ought to be possible to get seven
or eight thousand tourists a year into
Honolulu. Assuming that the average
tourist would stay month and that
that time, the income from, say 5000
tourists, would be 1880 900 per annum.
nice little sum to depend on. But
that would not be all. The fact is
shown in Southern California that a
certain proportion of tourists become in
vestore in securities and another pro-
portion buy real estate and build win
ter homes. To rich men who are ac-
customed to getting three and four per
cent for their money in the East, West
ern investments of approved solidity
at seven and eight are most attractive
Here in Hawaii money is safe at eight
per cent. AS to building winter homes,
| the Eastern capitalist Is represented
| in Florida. California and even on the
Riviera, so why not here? No one of
these other resorts has so mild and
even n climate; no one of them has
more matchless scenery; no one has so
COSMOPOLITAN and interesting a popula-
| ton.
Tourists have their fashions like other
people and If it can once become as
much of fad to visit Honolulu as 1t
now is to sojourn at Palm Beach or
as it used to be to spend the summer
at Long Branch and Saratoga, the for
tune of the place will be made. Even
oth nj axe tho lead this civ
can easily get enough to pay 1t for all
the trouble 1t may choose to take. The
number of American globe trotters is
increasing all the time. Our tourists
leave from 500, 0O0, 900 to $3.50, 0000 900 in
Europe every year-as much money
annually as was taken out of the Com
stock lode. They are swarming over
Japan helping to keep that much-bur-
dened country out of bankruptcy
Southern California levied on them for
SIS 900, 900 last year. Their presence in
the Bermuda and West Indian islands
is revivifying trade in all those stag
nant places So there is enough for
all. Surely Hawaii ought to have its
share.
But it should be understood once and
for all that good things cost money.
We cannot get very much by sitting
down and relying on our natural adj
vantages." That is what San Diego
did and that is why it was beaten by
Los Angeles, which made up for the
want of some advantages due COM
mercial city by hard work. 1t is bet
ter for cities to be born industrious
than rich. Milford Haven is one of the
best deep sea harbors of Great Britain.
1t is nearer New York than Liverpool.
Its people were SO certain of its destiny
that they sat down and folded their
hands. Hull, on the other hand, want
ed to be a big commercial city but it
was on river, far from the sea. But
its people never rested until they had
dredged and enlarged the approaches
to the town and now ships hailng from
Hull are found all over the world. Mill
ford Haven is stil waiting. Hull
trumphed because of it's working ca
pacity, it's public spirit its pluck and
determination to succeed and it's ex-
ample is useful to any city which seeks
world around 1t.
Honolulu can get a regular and lucra-
tive tourist trade by spending money
LII ~ ny SpSiiuilS lioucS ldNlSilS Jul
judiciously in the ways that have won
the best results for other resorts.
Arrangements should be made for spe-
cial railway and steamship rates, for
competent literature and it's wide cir
culation, for magazine advertising at
the right time and in the right way.
Once get the crowd headed in this d.
rection and the advertising bills may
be cut down materially. The intro
duction of a town, in that respect, is
like the introduction Of patent medi- |
cine.
Finally 1t Is time to be stirring. 1t
is nearly July. The winter tourists
start in November, about four months
hence. If transportation rates are to |
be settled, literature issued, advertis- |
ing done and agents located, the soon
er Honolulu begins the better. The city |
should get in its work" before people |
have made up their minds where to
spend the winter: not wait until their |
to go somewhere else have
all been made. 1t is poor business |
policy to sit about in the sun and talk |
hard times when the chance to make ,
times good is right at hand. |
--$- \
Complaint IS made that a white, soft |
scale is running orange trees about |