The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-05-29
'TARO SITUATION IS
NOT PROMISING
Growers Find Profits Nearing The
Vanishing Point Although
+ Poi Price Keeps Up

= A .III O. r.
The reason why poi costa some PEG. !
pie 90 much is that II costa other PEG !
pie nothing. That Is, there are 70 many |
dead beats buying poi that the price
h1ed for the paying euhtomers has 70
be high enough TO cover multitude
Of bndtdebts ~ III " it
A. v. Uere, engineer Tor the bishop
Estate, 90 reports n o sthtemdht GOV.
brInR the taro sitmtion, drawn ub for
the food commission and submitted 70
"A. L. Castle, Of the sub-commlttee on
The Territorial Market. 10
Mr.. 0ee . report, which IL short
one and which he will later supplement
with a detailed statement, says:
Use Failing on li'- i
HfsDear sir--Putsuant TO our recent
ronversation, ! place at your disposal
the tvllowina statement regnrdino the
Iaro industry with which / am fhmi.
liar: az, So ~
1.-THE use of taro as food staple
hasifalldn OF 30 such an extent in the
past three years that under ordinary
conditions the growers have found It
difficult to meet expenses.
1.-THE area formerly devoted 70 thro
| In and around Honolulu has been great
| y reduced, the land being partly pinnt-
cd to vegetables, bananas or flowers,
and considerable area turned into
\ residence property
No ProAt 70 Growers 4
4" Sufficient area remains 10 cnltiva-
4 fion on. oahu TO supply the ordinary
local demaud at prices which yield Ia.
tie IL nny profit to the growers the
lprice for the past year and half, up TO
two months, ranging from forty cenn
to ninety cents per bag depending on
1 tne quanty of the taro and the ability
Of the buyers to take advantage Of
the necessity Of the producer 10 sell.
laVI am informed that one hundred
pounds Of first crop taro produces only
forty pounds o. poi, but that SECOND
and succeeding crops yield seventy
pounds Of poi per one hundred pounds
Of taro, Why this should BE- % j. be-
yQnd my comprehension.
Big Margin In selling A.
4 1.-THE selling price Of poi has uni
formally held at two and D haIf cents
lper pound for the buyers II quantity
Hand three cents to the small buyer
Very recently, this price has beeu
raised onsShalf cents per pound in each
tcase.
1.-THE only explanation ! can give Of
the great difference between the price
10 the producer and the consumer i
the necessity Of the factories TO make
good the large losses from bad &c
counta. / am informed that to DO bust
lnese. With the consumers Of poi, an o.
4 tensive credit system 4 necessary and
that The losses from bad accounts arr
coisiderable. y
1.-THE local demand for taro and po
has decrehsed On ell the Isiands, Y
much the same ratio. as on Oahu. Tn
use Of .aour in ethe poi being foun,
cheaper and mora expedient "a a laboi
Saving device
| csWithin the past year. PROBABLY 20,
900 BAN ofi tafo gr0Wn At Keel, 6outl
K0na, Hawaii, and 5000 bags grown
at Waipio. Hawaii have had to be Ief
in the 6elds To rot AZ the money 70
(which II ould sell was not uptiicippt =
Ipay the cost Of marknting. ~
tsThroE Rtowing in the Konaa u ne
Ieessarily on, the aplands above the gov
eminent road. The cost OF pulling
soaking and delivery to the, wharf 4
from fifteen cepts to twenty cents pc
Il bag; freight twenty ceuts per bagj d
tlivery to market two cents per bag
selling commission Ave per cent or Nv
and half cents per bee-or 4 tots
of apptoSinataly forty-fve cents pc
bag for marketing cost. N,
Il 1.-THE merketinR cost from Waipi
Is sixty cent?, per bag. y