The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-09-21

gust 5l mas the following about tn.
building up OF trade between Hawai-
and oregon:
, Portland will forfeit the Hawaiian
Island trade unless her merchant,
awake from their Rip Van winkl,
trance and bid for the business.
Unless cargo offerings improve tn,
Matson Navigation Company will with.
draw the steamer Hilonian
Hawaiian dealers are anxious TO make
the Rose city permanent market. but
they want to deal with men on the
ground.
Long-distance buying Is not conducive
to the continued prosperity OF the line:
nor will buyers place heavy orders un-
til convinced that this city viii well
come the trade and exert energy to
hold it.
These are n few of the facts facing
the commercial interests OF the Beaver
State metropolis. At the present-rate
1t is asserted authoritatively that the
Hawaiian steamer line will not be
available long. Operating expenses
cannot be derived from promises of
merchants to send representatives into
the island territory next June. Prompt
work of a fair and convincing character
| -
strate to the houses doing business in
the group that their interests will be
| protected when they relinquish connec-
tion with other ports and place their
| faith in the advantages of this harbor.
DO NOT OFFER CARGOES.
Since the second sailing of the Hilo-
nian 1t has been evident the service is
being maintained largely from the ship
nf hn
son Navigation Company and kindred
, corporations. rather than from the car
go offered by merchants. This has
been confirmed by NJ. ]. Lindsay, Port
land agent of the Matson Navigation
Company. who was asked yesterday re-
garding the real status of the steam
ship situation. AS an instance of how
the new market here is regarded at
Honolulu and other island cities, Mr..
Lindsay displayed a letter from a reli-
able merchant at Hilo, who placed in
his hands an order for lumber, doors.
sashes and such material, representing
16 900 feet with the understanding that
1t was merely an experiment or a trial
order and that no heavy shipments
would be contracted for until it was
proven the steamer line was definite
and assured adjunct to the transporta-
ton facilities of the group.
THE annual trade of the island.
amounts to hundred of thousands of
dollars" said Mr.. Lindsay. 1T Is a
stable source of revenue when once Sc
cured, but must be encouraged to be
retained. It's no different from any
other. But l am not convinced one
man can be sent to the cities there
and succeed in establishing profitable
trade relations. 1t does not stand to
reason. Dealers in the interior of Ore
gon and Washington buy largely from
samples. Travelling men make those
territories regularly. So they must do |
in the Hawaiian Islands. If store
keepers of the different plantation com
panies desire certain brand of goods /
they notify their agents on the Coast |
When they cannot see samples them
selves they are naturally placed at a
and will consequently
buy from cities which have men in the
field.
GREAT DEMAND FOR LEATHER.
THE commodities in the way of
manufactured articles and products of |
the Portland market arc more divers-
fled than even your local residents have
any idea of. You do not appreciate the
of the commercial possibili-
ties in the exchange of business. Take
for example the harness line. On the
various plantations there are thousands
of horses and mules. Probably the
amount of that kind OF livestock will
equal those on foot in Oregon. Harness
must be bought for those animals.
Saddles are in demand. All sorts of
goods for stable use are sought. Like
cry and implements.
"On the other hand, the classes of
hardware bought are too multitudinous
to specify. Many different grades of
and mill products are market-J
able. and a book would be required to
enumerate the articles kept in stock
by Portland wholesale houses that are
needed by the island residents. And
last, but not least. there is wide
field for carpet houses. The son of
Mr.. Schlueter OF the San Francisco
firm of Schlueter & Vullberg, went
down with me one trip on a vacation.
He carried samples with him. and dur
ing times when he was not sightseeing
visited dealers at different points When
he returned to the Bay City a month
later he had orders in his book repre-
senting $4,000.
Probably Portland houses could send
carpet samples there from now until
next Summer and not sell a yard be-
cause the buyers want to meet the
men handling goods. There are four
towns-Honolulu, Hilo, Kahu-
lui and Honokaa. They are all reached
by water, and with frequent sailings
from San Francisco there is no reason
why the jobbing interests OF the Rose
City cannot reap the advantages now
offered them. AS IL IL, the firms on the
islands are buying small lots of cargo
on trial or sample orders, but at the
rate II will take them years TO learn
what things are available, and in the
meantime the company cannot sail the
Hilonian at loss. We have decided
this much IL the steamer Is taken OF
notice will be given 80 days in advance,
and we are hopeful the notice will never
be necessary.
CARRIED LITTLE FROM PORT
LAND.
"On the last voyage OF the Hilonian
she carried 100 tons OF goods purchased
by me for the plantation companies
and passenger from San Francisco
contracted for like amount. With the
exception OF 2s head of horses and
few small consignments, nothing was
sent from this port. l have been frank