The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-10-18
RUBBER CROP
HAS GREAT
PROMISE
Governor Predicts New
Rival of Sugar
Business.

Saturday afternoon n the headluar-
tiers Of the EahIku Rubber Company
on Maui. the first convention ever held
in the interests Of the growing Of rub
Der in the United States took pace.
The Hawaiian Rubber Growers Asso-
citation held is first important meet
r.s and was fully o,gauizsd and its
bylaws were adopted Sixty men Of
the Territory and almost all occupy
ing 1spertant positions in their re-
spectiye linss OF business formed the
charter members CT the association
which viii. without doubt. grow greatly
in the succeeding years and may, as
The Ae2e was expressed on Saturday,
rival the Sugar Planters Association
in the wealth which viii be repre-
ssntsd.
The excursion 10 the rubber planta-
tions on Maui left this city Friday
noon on the steamer Like,ike, Captain
Naopala. with twenty-eight in the
party. The first stop made was al
Lah2ina, which was reached about
eight O'Clock in the evening, where the
party was increased by five residents
OF that section The largest addition
70 be received was from Kahului and
Wailuku, the first named town being
reached shortly after midnight Here,
in spite OF the lateneSs Of the hour,
there were more 10 be picked up. The
only ladies who Joined the party come
on board az Kahului, being Mrs. and
Miss Thomas, who made the trip
through The plantations in a carriage
and expressed great interest in all that
they saw.
The weather was perfect for the trip
and with the exception Of few min
utes after leaving Hama on the return
trip there was hardly a heavy swell
encountered The landing at Nahiku
was a little rough but there was no
delay necessary and no accidents oc-
CURED From the landing the party
walked about 4 quarter OF a mile to
the home Of c !. Austin, the mana ger
OF the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Rubber
Company, where q delicious breakfast
was served The long tables, which
were prepared 10 accommodate the en-
tire party at once were loaded with
good things 70 eat and the fragrant
cups Of coffee, which steamed by each
plate, were more than welcome TO the
excursioniSts who were hungry after
their long trip on the water
THE FIRST OF THE FOREST.
The first sight Of rubber which
greeted the members OF the PARTY was
seen iuSt before reaching Mr. Austin's
home On the mauka side Of the trail
were several big trees which had been
planted nine years ago by Hugh How
e., together with many others which
have since been cut down, through ig-
nora1ce Of the fact that they would
produce rubber il large enough quantf-
ties 70 De commercially valuable
IN telling Of these trees Mr. Howell
said:
I first became interested in rubber
q little over nine years ago, through
reading in one Of the larger maya
zines Of the country OF the fact that
the natural rubber supply Of the world
was becoming exhausted rapidly and
that there was q fortune ready for
any energetic man who took I'd the
cUltivat ton OF rubber trees on q scfeu-
ttfic scale and was located in a favor
able climate I wrote to joseph Mars
ce1- then Commissioner Of Agriculture
asking him for information in regard
70 rubber and also for any seed that
might be available.
He replied by sending NE seed. but
In reply 10 my request for information
stated that the subject was one which
had Just been taken Up by his depart-
nent and that they hsd not reached
stage in their Investigations which
could yield any results which would
be profitable 70 ne The seed he stat
Cd would probably grow II I handed
Il according 70 the directions which he
gave ne. but he could not say whether
It would prove a profitable Industry.
NARSDETS ADVICE.
About three or four years after. I
met Mr. Marsden IN HonoluIu. and
spoke 70 him Of rubber He said that
there was nothing whatever in rubber
IN the Islands and advised ne To give
II ID and 70 grow canphor. which I
did As the result OF his advice I cut
down all the trees which had grown
from the seed he had sent ne with
the exception Of three or four Nov
1 wish that I had kept the whole lot
Before cutting the trees down tried
them 70 see If they would produce any
rubber, and on account Of NY COM
plete ignorance in the matter felt that
Ir- Mzrsdeu's advice was correct and
gave the trial up The way in zhbch
TAPPED the trees made it almost as
sUred that would Be disappointed III
knew nothing OF the manner IN which |
1t should be done and bored into the
tree with Z Bit as one would into z !
maple tree for sap and when I only |
got drop or two Of the Iatex. OF milky I
fluid, from which the rubber l. form