The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-08-08
RODERICK O MATHESON, EDITOR
For the Tourists

u remark is neither original, but it is
apropos nevertheless. There will be many more
visitors here next winter than there have ever
been before, because the mainland has been en-
joying phenomenal prosperity The great middle
class of well-to-do American farmers professional
and business men who with their families do most
of the travelling in foreign lands, especially those
hailing from the inland States rule better
informed about the history, customs and peculiar
tiles Of the country they have decided to do"
next winter than the inhabitants thereof know
about it themselves. These are. very many of
them, very much disappointed with Hawaii.
After studying the numerous histories of the
Islands they come expecting to find at least some
visible indication of the old order Of things
Scenery is not everything. Neither is escape
from the rigors of northern Billiards the prime
motive that induces many OF our Comfortably
fixed" fellow citizens to make annual or biennial
excursions abroad Adventure is the motive in
terest in learning at first hand, and seeing with
their the marvelS they have read OF or
have caught, by Aeetng glimpse, the movie
screen.
1t is not out of place to say that most Of this
class Of we-read, we-informed Americans
distinctly disappointed when they come here and
find that except for the frame, the picture is the
in many another land. They feel pride
in our having developed splendid commercial
and industrial ediice out here in the middle of
the Pacific ocean. They admire the twentieth
century vim and energy with which do big
things, but that in itself is disappointment be-
we have obliterated and are hiding the lowly
beginnings from which grew.
The history of Hawaii is written in things Ha-
waiian. Our visitors willing to grant the
right to wear Clothes run automobiles grow sugar
cane, build churches and do politics they would
demand
show them the civilization that preceded ours, and
theirs 1t is enough that there should be
printed descriptions, painted pictures, ancient
implements and products duly tagged and
ranged on museum shelves. They want to see
the Hawaiians living : they used to live. making
mats, carving caIabashes, stringng leis and weav
ing the various 'curios and brc-a-brac' they arc
eager to buy.
Descriptions OF grass houses interesting
they have seen the pictures in the town library
back home Where are they? 1t is not enough
for to shrug the shoulders and say, "Oh, We
use corrugated iron now They do not care to
listen while dilatc on the advantages Of having
leis made BY contract, ukuleles turned by the
hundreds in factories, lathe turned caaba shes.
Tourists feel derauded when they cannot see
these things for themselves They willing to
pay their good money for the machine-made
"curios, knowing they not real, just ten
year-Old boy is willing to take gifts from the
Santa Claus who wears his fathers boots That
is one of the sad thing of life But neither the
boy nor the tourist will mention his suspicious
when he is showing his plumber to admirers.
There ought to be municipal grass hut, true
to ancient architecture in construction and mate
rails, centrally located near the downtown hotel
and boarding house district, where Hawaiian lei
women could make and sell their wares, weave
loulu hats and lauhaIa mats, drill seeds and shell
beads and string them. and where men could
pound paiai and carve calabashes. We venture the
opinion that an institution of this sort property
arranged, would prove one OF the biggest drawing
cards that has been devised to satisfy tourist
curiosity.
From the standpoint of the flower women it
would be good thing. From time immemoriaI
the lei sellers have oregathered the narrow
sidewalks along Hotel street. Even now there are
mutterings and murmerings that the pathway
there is too narrow, and that they are in the way
The traffic that busy street has changed radical
ly in the last five years and it will undoubtedly
become more and more a shopping street instead
of by-alley as it used to be. AS every one knows,
the sidewalk ei-sellers of the best tourist
attractions of Honolulu They have been photo
graphed almost often Kilauea. Give the lei
makers the same rent-free privileges they now
have the Hotel street sidewalks.
. Tourists want the real thing in its proper sur
roundings, and while grass hut would have to
be under the protecting wing OF the promotion
committee or some similar organization, the pro-
motion feature ought to be kept in the back
ground. This would be no place for the distribu-
lion Of tourist literature and the great Apos-
tie of Pan-Pacfcism should be kapu.
--:o:-
The Irish Situation
. CPD AMCDONAlNrE -. 4l0 Lo..oo az lo.do ~.