The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-05
URGES HELP FOR
SMALL FARMER
W. 0. Smith Suggests Line for
Promotion Committee
Efforts.

To promote the growth of the pros
perity of Hawaii, W. o. Smith has
suggested to the Promotion Committee
that they take further steps to pro-
mote the small farm idea as relates to
the cultivation here of tropical prod
ucts, working in conjunction with the
Federal Experiment Station. Mr..
Smith writes, his communication being
addressed to Willard E. Brown, chair
man of the committees:
d" Your recent communication in re-
| gard to the work of the Hawaii Pro-
motion Committee and inviting coop
Grafton with the work was duly re-
| ceived
81 wish to assure you of my ap-
probation of the work which the COM
mittee has done and is doing and to
assure you of my desire to cooperate
and be of service in the work so far
as I am able.
''You invite suggestions, and there
is a suggestion which l will make, al
though it may be along lines which
do not come particularly within the
scope of the work of the committee.
While it is desirable to attract tour
lists to come to these Islands, it is
more important that there should be
conditions which would invite certain
of the tourists and others to remain
and make their homes here. AS we
all know, there are certain inherent
q IL ~, IL
from making their homes here. Among
these is the limited number of indus
tries which can be engaged in at
profit. The main industry, sugar, nee
essarily requires much capital, and we
can not here compete with farmers on
the Pacific Coast in producing any
crops which can be grown there. The
products which can be produced at a
profit must be those which have
world markets, and we should profit
by the experience of other insular
countries situate at great distance
from those markets.
'fThe suggestion / wish to make is
that the work of the United States
Agricultural Experiment Station here
should be extended and experiments
made in different localities with prod
ucts which have proved successful in
such countries as Java, Ceylon, the
Philippines, etc.
"The Federal government maintains
an experiment station in each State
and Territory, and it is expected that
the State or Territory will supple
ment the aid given by the Federal
government by making appropriation
to help carry on the work of the sta
ton. This Territory has helped in a
small way, but owing to the lack of
funds the appropriations have been
very small. The loss of revenue from
the custom house has hampered the
Territorial government very much.
Meanwhile the demands for larger ap-
preparations for educational purposes,
public Improvements, and other press
ing needs have increased SO that the
ability of the Territory to do much
financially to promote experimental
work is very limited. 1t may be that
united effort and strong appeal might
be effective in obtaining more assist
ance from the Federal government
along these lines.
''In some manner it should be dem
onstrated that there are agricultural
products which can be produced here
at a profit by people with compare
lively small means, in addition to
those which are now produced.
''There is great variety IN the
soils and climate of the different por-
tions of the different islands of this
group, and in the adaptability of the
different localities. There should be
small experiment substations at vari-
Gus points and trials made with plants
and crops which have been found
profitable in countries somewhat SIM
ilarly situated.
''It might not be within the prov
ince Of the Promotion Committee to
do anything along the lines suggested,
but it seems to me worthy of consid-
Grafton.
Plan In Progress.
Mr.. Brown points out that 1T is with
the very object in view that MI
Smith writes that the committee mas
urged the appointment of an indus
trial agent through joint action OF the
Chamber of Commerce, Merchants
Association and their own committee,
it being suggested at the meeting of
the promotionists on Thursday that a
committee to be made up Of represen-
tative of each of the associations,
with DR.. Wilcox as a fourth member,
be appointed to go carefully into the
matter.
The idea of the promotionists is to
work in conjunction with the Experl-
ment Station and devote the first en-
ergies to the matter of supplying the
home market with the agricultural
products which could be produced To-
cally, but which are being imported
now from the Coast. M. Newell of
the Reclamation Service is a strong
advocate of such a plan, which has
worked most successfully elsewhere
and promises to work as successfully
on Oahu.
Eventually the working up of an
export trade in tropical agricultural
l.