The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-29

Editor Advertiser: After thoroughly
canvassing the subject among the mem
bers of the Congressional party during
the interisland trip, and consulting
since the return with haoles, kamaalnas
and maiihInis like myself, / am firmly
convinced that the time is ripe for the
formation o. a Hawaiian Friendly So
ciety, to be composed of those who love
these islands and live here and of those
who also love them and are not SO for
tunate. So far as the members of the
Congressional party IS concerned, Bar
kis seems to be willing.
The advantages of Glands across
the sea- friendly organization could be
made many and manifold. If, how
ever, such society accomphshes no
more than keeping up continual cor
respondenee between the Hawaiians and
their well-wishers on the mainland,
much good may result. Every one of
our visitors wishes to know even more
of these islands than he has already
learned. Many of them would like to
know where they can secure additional
data and information. A Friendly So
ciety such as | suggest might by either
using the Promotion Committee as a
clearing house or by direct correspond
ence keep the needs of these islands
ever green in the minds of their we'll
wishers. But there are other and more
substantial benefits to be secured by
cooperation.
Few of these islanders, or our citi
zens ON the mainland, | believe, begin
to realize the very serious manner in
which the majority or the Congressman
on visiting committee get down to
the work in hand. II has been a reve
lation to me, and [ know now that if
the hands of the Congressman with us
are upheld by the people of Hawaii
these islands need not fear for the
future.
The destiny of Hawaii has fortunate
ly fallen into the hands of men who
believe that the only way to do things
is to do them. To illustrate, Congress
man Davidson, who is with US as chair
man of the Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee, has not only at his own expense
explored all of the great rivers of
America, but when as a congressional
visitor he departed from Porto Rico, he
carried to America with him 100 pounds
of Porto Rican coffee, paid for out of
his own purse, and this coffee he had
parched in America, put up in pound
packages and sent with instructions
how to best prepare for the table to the
most influential people he knew. They
tried, used and asked for more, but Mr..
Davidson knew of no one in America
who handled that particular coffee-and
here comes in the need of Friendly
Society. Many of our visitors hope to
take back with them sacks of Kona
coffee, each one will gladly 60 among
his friends singing its praises, but the
coffee men OF Hawaii must help them
selves if they expect others TO help
them. Let them. with the aid of friends
in America, be ready to take the first
step that will free them from at least
one of the middlemen between them
and the consumer and, tariff or no tariff,
coffee planting will pay on these islands.
Coffee planting being mooted as the
industry of the small farmer, | con-
tinue to use this bean to illustrate the
possibilities of promotion work on the
part of a Friendly Society, no matter
how loosely organized. One friend,
Congressman Stevens, I know takes the
matter most seriously. He is a firm
advocate of applying the pure food law
to coffee, appointing a board to test ev
cry sack Oh coffee that comes to Ameri
ca, establishing a STANDARD and abso |
lutely excluding the cheap, injurious
grades that drift in from South Ameri-
ca to the detriment of American diges-
ton and the ehagrin of Hawaiian coffee |
growers. He would impose coffee |
tax to support the board-and to this
tax there would not be the howl of |
opposition that the suggestion of a
tariff on coffee would arouse Mr.. Ste |
vens is a Hawaiian Friendly Society in
He proposes, as does Con-
gresham Davidson, to do something
practical. Both of these gentlemen, as
well as Mr.. LittlefieId of Maine, and |
many others of the Congressional par |
ty, are convinced that the new pure |
food laws may be so enforced that no
one would dare sell any foreign substi- |
tute under the label of American, -
. Kona' or Hawaiian coffee. Patri- |
otlsm on the part of Americans on the
mainland and perseverance on the part
Of the islanders should accomplish the |
rest, so that American people would de- |
mand American coffee (Which is the |
best in the world), raised by American
growers.
I know that some of our Congress |
men and their wives are taking home /
Hawaiian jams, which they pronounce /
the best in the world, vanilla beans and |
even caeao pods. Only one Congress
man has expressed it as his opinion
hat Americans will buy their wares in