Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-04
Local Musicians AS Well AS
Makers and Dealers Wish
Industry to Thrive

Wnlcn could supply the ueudnu ioI
these instruments" would be bene-
tit, and would mean a new industry
for Hawaii" said Ernest Kaai today
when asked regarding the suggestion.
made by the Sherman Clay Company
that up-to-date machinery be Installed
In the shops where the Instruments
are manufactured.
Ernest Kaai is one of the leading
musicians, and Is perhaps better
known on the mainland than any 9TH
ef Hawaiian in that field. His studio
and his orehestras have become
known throughout the world, and his
ideas have been sought by many of
the leading ukulele manufacturers OF
America.
III Is true that Hawaii cannot sup
ply the demand for ukuleles. and
factory equipped with the latest ma
chinery and combining the best IDEAS
of the mainland and Hawaii would
surely be big boost for the.islands..
A campaign of advertising backed by
standard goods Should result In some
thing more than is being done 1T the
present People on the mainland will
buy q ukulele bearing the Hawaiian
stamp sooner than they VIII those
made on the, mainland. providing exs
ery0ing is equal. There are more
ukuleles being made on the mainland
than in Hawaii at present" he con-.
Guided
The Hawaiian ukulele in all Of its
parts was one OF the first exhibits of
home manufacture to be sent to the
PaniPacific indusNial museum, and
the Pan-Pacific Club is working on
plans to increase the industry. At
present the exhibit of ukuleles at the
Pan-Pacific Industrial Museum over
Castle e Cookies will be enlarged.
The exhibit VIII include the Hawai-.
ian ukuleies In the making, and ex-
perts VIII be hired to play for the
tourists. The Pan-Pacific Club will
begin this movement in order to in
terest local manufacturers in the re-
organization of the methods.
Local manufacturers of ukuleles
state that the instruments made here
are far superior to those n..nufactur-
ed on the mainland. Thu workmen
here believe that the criticism of the
sherman Clay & Co. manager Is I'M
just. as they have received MANY tes.
timonials from the leading firms In
the country.
George Mossman Of the. Kinney q
Mossman Co. called upon A. p. TAYLOR
OF the Hawaiian Promotion COMMITTEES
yesterday and explained to the secre.
tary the difference IN Hawaiian,
makes land those manufactured on
the mainland. Mossman asserted that
the ukuieles made here were OF koa
wood, while many Of those manufac.
tured on the mainland we're made OF
soft woods and lacked the tone. He
showed q number of letters of praise
concerning the local product
There Is unquestionably a big and
permanent future for the ukulele.n
writes Frederick A. Norton, manager
OF Sherman, Clay & Company. TO the
Hawaii Promotion Committee. aFrom
an instrument that was regarded as
q RAD originally, and was openly
scoffed at by the musical profession. II
mas worked its way up to a point
where 1t Is seriously regarded. and we
are confident that II has a sphere of
its own tn the string musical instru-
ment family.
Furthermore, 1t has proved a STEP
ping stone to stringed instruments
that might be considered more serious.
VIZ, the guitar, mandolin and their
various notifications, and It ia an
Questionably responsible, in a large
measure. for the tremendous impetus
that the guitar and mandolin industry
has had in this country during the past.
YEAR. . HH
The future OF the ukulele, as far
as the Hawaiian manufacturers : are
concerned, however. in our mind
lies 10 the ability of the Hawaiian max
ers to adapt themselves to mainland
standards of construction, and up-to-
date production and marketing meth
DDS. This naturally means the use OF
the most approved machinery, and
getting away to some extent at least
from the crude hand methods. II is
true that we are laying great deal
Of stress on the fact that the island
ukuleles are all handmade through.
out but as matter Of fact the island
handmade goods fall short of the in
struments made here In uniformity of
construction and appearance and cor
rectness Of scale
In time the ukulele should be list
ed Is one of Hawaii.s real industries,