The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1914-06-23
.LYDGATE'S TALK
TO BUSINESS MEN
Good Suggestions Which Cham
ber OF Commerce will
Take UP

At the meeting of the Kauai
Chamber of Commerce, held at the
Fairview Hotel OF the afternoon of
June II, Rev. J NJ. Lvdgate deliv-
cred blghly interesting address,
which, OF account of lack of space,
was unfortunately omitted from
the last issue of this paper. The
address in full was as follows:
When he children of Israel,
having endured untold rrivations
and suffe. ings IL the wilderness
came at length into the land of
Moab where there were trees and
running streams II d corn and
wine, they were quite content to
settle down and enjoy these things.
They were loath to go further, but
the word Of the Lord came to Mos
es saving: Speak to the people
that hey go forward" ." We, per-
haps, are somewhat in the frame
of mind of these children of Israel.
We lave organized this Chamber
of Commerce, we are satisfied that
it is good thing, we are enjoy
ing the benefits of it, and we are
content to rest OH our oars and
let well enough alone.
Now, without assuming to be a
local Moses or a local Providence.
| want to suggest that we go for
ward; | want to point out some of
the directions i'll which we may go
forward.
| The Kauai Chamber OF Com
mere represents the whole island,
and all classes OH the island. We
organized on broad lines, with pro-
VS. ,stG2F stt2F cpumittees REPRESENTING.
different interests. There were to
he committees on Legislation, Ag-
riculture, Transportation, Local
Promotion, Commerce. 1t is much
to be regretted, think, that only
two OF these committees have been
appointed, and these two have not
done as much as they might be-
cause they f e t that they were
treading II e wine press alone
Round up half a dozen boys for a
race, the two who go into it i'll
good faith, and who want to run,
will be discouraged when a false
start IS made and the rest drop out
in indifference.
These committees ought to he
appointed. Take for instance.
Agriculture. This is an important
matter for us and we ought to have
a good live committee alert to our
interests along these lines for ms
tdnCe. | have been reading lately
of t h e phenomenal possibilities
there are in Spineless cactus for
the desert lands of California and
Arizona where it is proving to be
more valuable than Alfalfa. SO
great is the demand for cuttings
for planting that it sells, in some
places at the rate of 81 so stub. A"
We have, OH the lee side of this
island, good deal of land similar
to Arizona desert; it may be that
this cactus would thrive there and
prove very valuable.
The demand for blueberries and
huckleberries has become so great
that they are now being cultivated
OH a large scale.
They are canned and shipped all
over the world. We have a Hawa,
iian huckleberry the ohelo-which
grows in quantities on some parts
of Hawaii, but does not grow OH
this island | would like to see it
imported from Hawaii and domes-
ticated on Kauai. am sure it
would thrive on the uplands back
of Waimea, and that it would be
valuable acquisition. Matters like
these might be taken up by this
Committee on Agriculture.
We ought to have a committee
0 homesteading, which would
keep us in touch with the govern
ment, on one hand, and with the
homesteader OH the other. -uoo V
mittee that would be informed as
to the homesteading plans and po-
Icy of the government, and be al
so informed as to the needs, and
difficulties Of the homesteader.
Such committee might also intro
duce the homesteader and induce
him to join the same, We could
probably help him, and he could
help us.