The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1913-09-30
breaches A REAL BOOSTER" SERMON

No one can read the story of the Divine
dealings with the children of Israel, with
out being impressed with the great i'm
portance of practical affairs. Over and
over again the word of God comes to
Moses not in some command concerning
the temple service or sacriticial worship,
but in some ordinance concerning civic
or sanitary or domestic affairs. Accord
ingly | make no apology for bringing
you this morning brief report of some
of the salient features of the recent civic
convention in Honolulu.
Unless | misinterpret all the signs
the man who stands behind this civic
movement is l.. A. Thurston. So that it
was singularly fitting that he should set
the pace and outline the significance of
the convention. He said in part ''this is a
solemn occasion because grave charge
has been laid against an important COM
munlty. With our leis, our banners, our
red neckties, our red and yellow umbrel-
las our pipers and our noise committee,
it is said Hilo has gone bughousel
Well if what we are doing substantiates
the charge of being bughouse then God
bless the bugs This is serious convention
ofserious men. We have vitally important
business before us and the fun and noise
are only harmless adjunct to grease the
wheels of business. This is promotion
convention. lst. the promotion of good
roads; 2nd. the promotion of diversified
agriculture and the 3rd. the promotion
OF tourist travel. This last subdivision
has fallen to me.
1t is the widespread mlsconception OF
the ordinary man that the tourist means
nothing to him. He is an asset worth
cultivating for the hotel man, the auto
mobile man, the curio dealer, the steam
ship Co., but for the ordinary man he is
a malihini and a nuisance. This is great
mistake. These interested men, after all
are only the conduits through whom the
| benefits are disseminated TO the general
public. We have lost we are told by the
adverse conditions present and prospec-
| tive in the sugar business. Some three
million dollars in the shrinking of divi-
dends This is a vast sum of money but
already we have made it up from the
tourist business and we bid fair to double
or treble that amount in the near future.
This money will be disseminated through.
out the country. Every man who receives
an income from whatever service spends
more or less of it. And the larger the in
come the more he spends. just as big
sugar income brings prosperity to every
one in I h e country, big tourist in
come will bring SIMILAR prosperity
that will finally reach everyone in the
country.
Increased travel means increased faci.
lities and conveniences. More trave
means more and better steamers, and
more frequent and better service and
cheaper rates. 1t means better roads and
more automobiles, more hotels, and more
reasonable charges.
A few years ago when the Mauna Kes
was put on the IIilo run, it was ques
ton whether she could be retained. She
was too big and too fine for the trade
| Now she is running two trips week anC
shows signs of being too small What has
brought about the change? Not sugar
The sugar trade has fallen off, 1t is thepas
senger trade. The best guarantee fol
better travel facilities for our own island
and the only guarantee is people--peopl'
of our own ii we have item, people from
abroad if We haven't and can borrow
/ them.
This subject has two main divisions
getting tourists here and entertaining