Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-14

cages on the company,s property. as
was told in the Star-Bulletin yester-
day The report tells of the many
possibilities for the future and makes
the recommendations which were
adopted unanimously by the stock
holders present.
The following is the text of the re.
port: ~" ....
| Honolulu. T. H.. Oct. 4. 1916.
! To the Shareholders, Kona Tobacco
! Company, Ltd, Honolulu, T. III.
"Sirs: The Kona Tobacco Company
was organized in May. 1908, with an
initial capital Of $4,000. Work was
commenced on the preparation of 200
acres of raw land for cultivation: two
small curing barns, combined OF.
flee and residence. laborers' quarters.
stables and fermenting house we're
built; one mile of permanent road
way constructed; and a 10-aere crop
was planted. The agricultural opera
tions failed because of the severe
drought that affected the whole Kona
district. The 1900 pounds OF leaf pro-
duced was sold in San Francisco for
20 cents per pound.
Work in 1909
Forty acres were planted: water
development undertaken under an
agreement with the trustees of the
Bishop Estate on land which they be-
lieved belonged to the state. but which
/ proved to belong to the Peabody Els.
tate; tobacco grown at Hookena and
Kalahiki having proved exceptionally
good contracts with outside growers
were made; one more barn built at
Keokes; store opened in basement of
residence; roads extended: much
fencing done; this year four bales of
wrapper sold New York at SIPS to
$l.40 per pound, balance of crop of
10000 pounds sent to San Francisco,
but refused sale because improperly
graded and baled; services of G.
Kretzschmar, an expert Sumatra fer
menter retained; capitalization in
creased to $4,000; three acres grown
at Honaunau best leaf produced that
year; experimental crop grown in for.
est at 2200 feet elevation; during win
ter of 1909 and spring of 1910. $50
acres cleared for 1910 crop, and one
new curing barn built.
Progress in 1910
Two hundred and twenty-five acres
of crop planted-150 acres at Keokea
! and 100 acres. In experimental plots
from Kealakekua to Pahoehoe; COM
pany bought two acres at Kalihiki.
leased lot 2, Honaunau, and leased 50
acres in forest on Keokea above for.
mer holdings and built curing barns
on each, also built two emergency
barns on Honaunau makai The crop
was too large for the equipment pro-
yided to handle it. The directors au-
| thoriZed increase of capitalization to
$4,000, but financial conditions were
unfavorable In Hawaii in 1910 and the
stock could not be sold II. Hackfeld
& Company advanced lumber for cur
ing barns and other improvements
to at least get the tobacco under roof.
The manager harvested over 10000
pounds of green tobacco that sum
mer, barn-cured it and G.. Kretzsch-
mar fermented It. The company
brought back the unsold 1909 crop
from San Francisco; Kretzschmar at
tempted to rework 1t and spoiled 1t
all. He left the plantation. The
bookkeeper and treasurer. c. l.. Beal,
also found the rush too much for him
and left.
THE manager then asked H. Hack
field & Company to get competent
man to grade and pack the fermented
crop. Joseph Daniels, San Fran
cisco tobacco broker and salesman,
was employed Arriving after the ire
mendous summer rush was ended he
resweated the cured leaf new S.
600 fermenting house was built. Then
a committee of shareholders investi-
gated the plantation, the former man
ager was dismissed, Joseph Daniels
was made manager and p. l.. Daniels
assistant manager
Results Of 1911 III,
All the curing barns were torn
down and rebuilt. Boarding house,
stables, machine shop and planning
mill, store, engine house. and many
laborers' quarters were built: two
large curing barns were rected anew;
large quantities of supplies and ma
lchinery were purchased; permanent
1 seed beds made; good water system
installed; roads widened and graded;
and. in word, lavish use made of the
company funds. the directors having
in the meantime increased the cap
tAboiEoIlOl " pSOVyOOUJ Vi WHICH new
stock about 100000 was subscribed.
No crop was grown by Manager Dan
ieis on the company lands. The COM
pany contracted with ]. G. Smith for
60 acres to be grown at Honaunau and
this and one lot grown by Japanese
contractor was the only crop grown
in 1911.
The manager devoted his time to
resweating the 1910 crop and prepar-
ing same for market The construc-
tion of buildings and other perman-
ent improvements were attended to By
the assistant manager. Manager Dan
iels left for New York with the 1910
crop in October, 1911, promising to
return in January, 1912, assuring the
shareholders that the crop would find
immediate sale at a high price, H.
| Hackfeld IN the meantime made heavy