The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-29

of hard outdoor life in the South
American tropics, and the Portuguese
brought to Guiana as field hands be-
came later the storekeepers and
wealthy men of the country. He
seemed deeply interested in the ac-
count of Hawaii's experiment with
Portuguese labor, for in Fiji coolies
are brought from India under five-year
indenture terms, and the Governor be-
1ieves that these employed by white
men will bring prosperity. 1t is a
fact that the sugar mills in Fiji do
buy their cane from independent white
growers who use coolie labor, and even
the banana growers are often white
men who recruit indenture labor from
the islands of the group. A shilling
a day is good field wages in Fiji.
THE COFFEE BLIGHT.
I learned from the Governor that
during his stay in Ceylon the last cof-
fee plantation had been plowed under,
as it was found impossible to fight
the coffee blight. He seemed to be-
lieve that science would find a cure in
Hawaii, but has little hopes for Fijian
coffee, which was once famous, but
now grows wild. The Governor uses
it on his table and likes it, but his
hopes for Fill seem to be more in the
direction of a revival of cotton plant
ing, copra, cocoa and rubber. Tea is
grown and Fijian tea is used every
where in the islands, but / have not
yet found anyone here who knows how
to make a good cup of either tea or
coffee. But, then, it is impossible to
buy coffee in the bean-save at one
store in F1ji-and ten pounds is its
stock, bought from a native who pick
it it wild.
STEAMER HOPES.
The Fijians complain of the freight
rates on bananas shipped to Austria
liza, and now Australia, to foster the
Queensland plantations, is placing a
tariff on Fijian bananas. A Jamaican
here hopes that the United Fruit Com
pany of Boston (Which has nearly 100
banana steamers), now that it is en-
ttering the Pacific, will extend it's OPP
erations to Fill, as the seasons OF Ha-
wall and Fiji are reversed, and when
bananas are few in Hawaii they may
be secured abundantly in Fiji. The
coming of the American boats would
mean an American hotel in Suva, and
a good hotel there would make the
Fijian Islands and their wonderfully
cheap inter-island cruises temptation
to any tourist to visit Australia or
New Zealand for the sake of months
outing among the Fijis. / hope yet to
see the Union Steamship Co. of New
Zealand selling, with its Vancouver to
Australasia through tickets, cruise
coupons good for a months stopoff at
Honolulu and a cruise among the Ha-
waiian Islands, and another month at
Suva and trip about the islands of
Fiji.
L take another delightful cruise from
here, via Samoa and the Tonga Is
lands, to Auckland, New Zealand.
From Auckland to Tahiti there is a
regular passenger line, and from Ia
hfti to San Francisco. If only the
Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand
could be induced to extend its SER
vice, via Tahiti, to Hawaii, or the
Spreckels boat would stop at Honolulu
on it's way to Tahiti, a perfect South
Sea Island cruise route would exist,
and one that American tourists would
delight in. What more delightful than
a cruise of the Pacific, beginning and
ending at Hawaii I shall visit Dun
edin for the purpose of talking this
matter oyer with Union S. S. Co. of
New Zealand officials. I hope yet to
see all the allied interests of the Pa
cific islands with their joint promo
ton committee rooms in New York,
London and other great centers OF
population. Hawaii is setting the pace
for the world west of the American