Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-02

edward n. Tracy, who writes be
low OF PortIand-H aWaii business pros
poets, is a former Honoiuian, gradual
ing in 1918 from the College Of Ha'
waits civil engineering school. He
now Ia in business In PortIand.)
Especial Star. Bulletin Correspondence)
PORTLAND, Ore, Oct. 17.--Hawaii
has a neighbor whom IL would pay her
to know better. nsighbor who wishes
TO become a friend For Portland
looks with envious eyes upon the
friendship between Hawaii and San
Francisco and wishes that she, too
were on friendly terms with the
islands. Starting about the time the
trip of the Rosarfans was proposed
late In 1915. there has been a steady
increase of interest which was in no
wise abated by the forced abandon
Ing OF the excursion. The newspapers
of the city have reflected this inter
est in numerous descriptive articles
and editorials, people bring UP the
subject on the street and at the
restaurants, and several plans has
been: seriously suggested regarding
the establishing of a steamship line
&c the islands, IL only experimentally
Move 10 Delayed
Inc principal reason that no defi-
mite step has been taken in this last
matter is the general depression
which has confined the attention OF
Oregonians strictly to their imme-
date problems. Following the period
OF extreme prosperity which occurred,
after the Lewis and Clark Exposition
of 1906 and lasted well into 1912, came
three years Of very dull times. New
industries were abandoned every.
.E3iere old ones retrenched severely,
Z ortgages were foreclosed daily.
Many lumber firms In and around
Portland were closed for as long as a.
year at a time and the suffering ex
tended all over the state. Naturally.
people in such financial doldrums
were not liable to do much toward
financing q steamboat line.
Tide Has Turned
But the turn OF the tide has set in
and indications on every hand point
10 a return Of prosperity that VIII
make up for the lean years Just past.
One very important feature In TINS
connection is the establishment OF
shipyards. Fostered by the inflated
value of ships resulting from the
great war, shipbuiiding industry Il
growing on the shores of the ColuI-
hia such As was never seen IN these
narts before. True, wooden vessels
az small sire have been constructed
a OREGON and Washington IN decent
n,,antIty In the past, but there has
been nothing to equal the present &C
tiyity. The established shipyards IN
Portland and Astoria are working 10
capacity. the total value OF the con-
tracts already let being twenty-five
million dollars. The important Tea
ture is that while many OF the Doa.s
ordered are wooden lschooners VIII.
auxiliary engines, a large portlon OF
the activity consists OF the construc'
ton of steel ships, something prac-
tically unheard Of on this coast out
side of the Union Iron Works al San
Francisco. The Northwest Steel Com
many has formed subsidiary corpora
zion To handle their contracts and
new firm. the Heath Shipbuiiding
Company has organized and started
construction of q plant, having already
received an order from a Norwegian
firm for six steam schooners, each 10
he $50 feet long and to cost quarter
million dollars. As consequence OIL
this industry and the excellent mar.
.keting conditions brought about o!
Fhe war, the lumber industry mas
vEain come into its own and Is run
Ming full blast. The lumber industry
AZ 70 Oregon what sugar is to Hawaii.
Add TO all this q bumper wheat crop
At remarkable prices, year OF heavy
rainfall. the successful operation, ot
the beet sugar factory in Southern
Oregon and II becomes clear why pros
perity seems near again.
should Revive Project
Early In 1917, then, should be
favorable time for the revival OF the
proposition of a steamship line 10
Hawaii. an experiment which should
proye an unqualified success. Oregon
mas much TO sell 10 Hawaii and cer-
tainly Hawaii would benefit greatly
from being able to tap directly the
enormous population OF Eastern
Washington, Western Idaho and prac-
tically all Oregon, for all of which
Portland is the distributing center
Interest In Things Hawaiian
AS an indication of the awakening
interest in things Hawaiian 1t is IN
teresting TO take account Of the popu-
larity OF Hawaiian music. Numerous
troupes of socalled Hawaiian musi'
clans 1.-THE latter term likewise social
ed) have appeared at various local
theaters and amusement parks ana
have been greeted with such enthu-
siasm that one often wonders what
the people here would do IL they could
hear. say. Ernest Kaais genuine Ha-
waiian music. The music stores have
difficulty in keeping up their stock oil
aloha De-" which popular opinion
holds 20 be the national air OF the
islands. Aloha De" suffers severely
because they insist on playing It with
ragtime Tilt, but what of that be-
tween friends? And the ukulele: Pos
sibly II may be the native instrument
Of Hawaii, but ii certainly thrives
with transplanting. The statement
has been made, although 1t is possibly
somewhat exaggerated. that a ukulele
Is as essential as q high school diplo-