The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-22

Visitor Says Many Good
Men Would Locate
in Hawaii.

Every hour I spend here, day by
day, I can see new opportunities,
said A. B. Leckenby in the course of
an informal address yesterday at the
meeting of the Promotion Committee,
an address abounding in homely epi-
grams such as might have been ex-
pected from David Harum if that phi
losopher had been an expert horticul
turist instead of an expert horse
trader, epigrams that convinced as
we'll as entertained the members.
Mr.. Leckenby brings to Hawaii the
trained experience of one who has
made scientific agriculture his life's
business, and the enthusiasm with
which he looks forward to locating in
the islands and carrying on his work
here is, as he describes it, 1.-The falling
in love with a girl at first sight; you
know how you feel about it, but you
can't tell" He has been here only a
few days, but long enough to drop the
you in talking of Honolulans and
substituting .'us." His talk yesterday
was on the possibilities here for agri-
cultural successes other than that of
sugar.
Hawaii is in a position to invite
homeseekers to it's shores, practical
farmers. And there are many such
now in position to come if the proper
presentations were made to them and
they were given equitable treatment
after they had come. There has been
revolution in farming of late years, .
he said, "and tilling the soil is no
longer the same as poverty. The
farmers of today are rich; they have
money and are able to come here now,
not tied down by mortgages. An in
vitation should be sent to them to
come here and live in this ideal eli
mate and continue their work under
these ideal conditions. A great many
are just listening for that invitation;
good people, the best people, people
ready to work and make farms out
of your plains or carve homes for
themselves out of your forests.
You know, of course. about the ex-
hibtion that is to be held in Seattle,
/ hope that you will have a good ex
hibit there to let the people know
what there is and may be in Hawaii.
Even on the Pacific Coast the people
think there is nothing down here but
heat and heas AMI cannibals."
Mr.. Leckenby spoke of the possibil-
tiles he had noted for small local in
dustries. instancing the beauty of Ha-
lit 4 hot
should be taken up and encouraged 10
afford. employment for the Hawaiian
women. weaving being something bet
ter than 'tatting or makes holes in
muslin" such as he had observed most
women spent the time in doing.
If the agriculturist here would use
the same energy as those of Califor-
MIA he saw no reason why the citrus
fruit industry here could not be a
great success, suggesting also that by
taking advantage of the equable eli
mate the Hawaiian horticulturist
should be able to land fruits out of
season on the Coast and get hothouse
prices for them. This whole land is
one great hothouse." he said.
The insect question here was, he
thought. an important one, but one
which the people had not taken the
trouble to solve. He suggested that |
if someone would invest from twelve |
to fifteen hundred dollars in a large |
spraying outfit it would be easy TO |
keep down the insects and allow the |
growth of a much more luxuriant TO- |
|iage than could be seen in the gar /
1ens of Honolulu. He met the objec-
ton of one of his hearers, who said /
that no one would invest that much |
and take chances, by stating that he
intended to make the investment him.
self and expected to gain by it. IF l
cave nv money in the bank / get
.our per cent. for it. BY investing in
hat way I expect to get good deal
more than four per cent and be able
% do a lot of good besides"
II am only farmer" continued the
expert. but still l regard my calling
IS one of great dignity. I feel that
I'm partner with God. God made
he wild strawberry and the other
Wild fruits and flowers, but when I
.ultivate and improve. God and me
make the tame strawberry and the
more beautiful flowers" Flowers are
me of Mr.. Leckenby's speciaIties, and
/. was in discussing the possibilities
f Hawaii for such plants as orchids
hat he opened the eyes of the promo
ionists He stated that ne had IN
Sew Jersey a single orchid plant and
rom the sale of the blooms of the one
liant he had had every year for
core of years an annual income of
wo hundred dollars. Hawaii was, in
Continued on Page Two)