The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-22
PLANTERS,
AND TOBACCO
They Nay Go Into a
Competitive
Venture.

Il The morning session of the Sugar
\ Planters Association convened at $50.
w O. Smith made an appeal for the
Il tobacco industry as follows:
Tobacco may be considered little
| subject but, when it is considered care
fully, it will be seen to be a very big
and a very important subject when the
possibilities are realized.
The sugar planters not so many
years ago discussed the possibilities of
tobacco in these islands, with the re-
suit that a man was sent to India and
elsewhere to look into the matter. He
| brought back some tobacco from Su-
matra for experiment here.
| Now it seemed at that time that
| Sunatra had been laboring under the
same difficulties that We labor under
| in this Territory, namely, to secure a
| leaf that would be marketable. It ap-
peared that there was too much salt
peter in the soil for the development
of the proper grade of tobacco. But
now Sumatra has developed a large ex-
port trade and is doing a great bust
ness, the leaf being used extensively as
a wrapper.
Gentlemen, we in Hawaii are going
to have the Philippine Islands for
competitor and we must be prepared
to compete with success against the
Philippines.
The Philippines have three chief
resources-hemp, tobacco and sugar.
p6
area that the Philippines has that can
be put into sugar is limited On the
contrary, unprecedented authorities have
declared that the Philippines POSSIBLE
ity in regard to sugar are very great.
But the Philippines will always be
great competitor of these islands, un-
less we get something besides sugar to
depend on.
The Philippines have three feet to
stand on-hemp, tobacco and sugar.
I'VE have tried rice here. but the Ha-
waiian rice industry is in bad way.
II can say that Robert Wilcox of
Princeville, whose property has been
turned mostly into rice rather than
sugar is in a bad way as to his rice,
there being no Chinese labor to be had.
This affects the Hawaiians very much.
The coming of steam vessels to take
the place of the sailing vessels which
used to leave a large amount Of money
here, is another thing which has af-
fected Hawaii to some extent.
I'VE must come down to the fact
that We have but one industry in these
islands.
"Of course. the pineapple canning
business is very successful and very
hopeful. Bruner and Louisson are
having success with coffee; but tobacco
when all these other things have been
considered, is something used all over
the world-universally.
Tobacco will prove no detriment to
the sugar industry. Mr.. Jared G. Smith
of the L. S. Experiment Station has
been making some most valuable ex-
perments. giving careful attention to
the soil and other conditions. There
should be more attention given tobacco
experiments. Land on plantations not
being used for cane could be used to
advantage in tobacco and even portions
of cane land might be put into to-
bacco.'
Here President Baldwin, of the H. s.
P Association, remarked that several
sugar plantations We're experimenting
with tobacco and great interest was
being taken Mr.. Smith said he real
lied this.
Continuing, Mr.. Smith said: eve
are in a bad way for labor, that is, IN
regard to common employees, depend
ing merely upon the sugar industry.
Had we a good class of employees
attracted by other Industries, they
would when necessary, be available