The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-10-14

People in Honolulu nave no idea OF
the progress made in the rubber indus
try. From time to time attention has
been called to rubber through the for
nation of companies, and. i'm the
meantime. the work of clearing land
and planting has been going on with
out interruption The Nahiku district
on Maui is being covered with young
trees. In all 100000 trees are grow
ing, covering about 1000 acres Of
ground Nahiku furnishes a good ci-
mate for the cultivation of rubber;
humidity, ample rain and good soil all
favor rapid growth Of trees
Many Honolulu business men are in
tefested i'm the industry; they are very
hopeful and even enthusiastic; but
their enthusiasm is as nothing COM
pared to the folks on Maui The Maui
stockholders feel confident that rub
Der is one Of the coming industries of
Hawaii These pioneers are backing
their judgment with tueir money; they
are composed of the plain people,:
among them you will find doctors, law
yers. clerks, employees Of various
plantations, but no sugar barOns" or
sugar dukes And yet the men who
are fathering this new industry are
not hostile to sugar; they do not in
tend to steal labor from the planta-
tions, but with their money intend TO
| cooperate with the planters and pay
their share of any expense attached
to securing labor; when the trees
| reach the tapping" stage many hands
will be needed and these honest and
! long-headed pioneers will secure the
necessary help without Gripping plan
/ tations
There is room in this country tor
| two important industries or for two
dozen if Hawaii could develop that
many Sugar takes up but a fraction
of land and this fact is impressed on
the man who travels about the isl
| ands In the Nahiku district there is
small empire of undeveloped land:
the stretch Of country is wide and to
the layman it seems that most any
thing will grow in that beautiful belt.
Much of the land is owned or contrull-
ed by the Nahiku Sugar Company; this
| land was formerly used for cane. but
/ since the plantation decided to retire
| from the sugar business, the fields
| have been idle, and now are covered
with weeds and other growth.
The Nahiku plantation has planted
many thousands of rubber trees and
/ the people on Maui believe that the
entire plantation will be planted in
| due time. There are three principal
| rubber COmpanies-The Nahiku, The
! Hawaiian-American and The Koolau;
then there are many independent
! planters, including w. G. Scott, who is
| developing quite an estate Planting
is not confined to Nahiku alone-the
people Of Hama believe in the industry
and every man who has a few acres of
ground has planted rubber When the
trees have developed sufficiently to
tap, the people interested in the busi-
ness stand a splendid chance to make
lot of money. The best grade of
rubber brings 81 40 a pound; people
who have studied the question say
that rubber at soc. a pound will for
Nahiku be a better business PROPOSE
ton than a producing gold mine.
A man cannot fail to be impressed
with the attitude Of the stockholders
and the men directing the rubber in.
dustry; they have the greatest faith in
the final success of the enterprise
They have no gold bricks" to hand tc
the public; have no immediate inten.
ton of forming companies; have NJ
stock in existing companies for sale
They have put their money in the
business, believing that they will gel
big returns, and 1--WE intend to stay
with it," they say. AS an example Of
faith; A young man, a resident o.
Waikiki. started his rubber invest
ment with one share; his income is &
modest one, but as he saves enough
he secures additional shares and now
is the proud owner of - shares in one
of the companies. This same spirit Il
over Maui and extends to Honolulu
where much stock is held. And judg
ing from the appearance OF the fields
this loyalty appears TO be justified
From the seashore at Nahiku tn,
, fields of the American-Hawaiian Com
; pany commence; as the traveller ride
, | a1puo tho mountain road tho land m
I both sides is covered with the Caer;
trees and the sight is a pleasant one
= Where waving cane once held posses
= sion now appear many thousands o
rubber trees, in all stages of develop
ment rearing their tops straight Il