The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-27
MARKETING DIVISION
BENEFITING FARMERS
Superintendent LOngey IN Report Says Sales Have
Greatly Increased and are Keeping Profits Through
ding Of Their Produce By His Department.;
Cash Working Fund Is Badly Needed

the report of Superintendent A. r.
Longley for the period of from July
1, 1915, to December 81, 1916. Sales
of produce by the division have greatly
increased, being much more than double
those of the preceding eighteen months,
while the number of cOnsignors to the
salesrooms of the division has grown
TO more than 400.
Superintendent Longley thinks still
better results could be obtained in the
future than in the past if the facilities
of the division were increased. The
revolving fund set aside by the last
legislature is inadequate, he says. The
division should have cash working
fund to pay off small producers prompt
ly when their produce is sold to reliable
parties on time.
Mr.. Longlcy also recommends that
there should be demonstration agents
on the different islands to give advices
as to what crops to grow, how to COM
bat pests and diseases, how to grade,
pack and ship and to keep growers
posted on the condition of the market
The report is in full as follows:
During the past eighteen months,
the sales of the division we're $3.50, G66.
so, an increase of $l3l,S03.99 over the
first eighteen months of the biennial
period 1913-l9l5, when the division was
first put under the supervision of the
Hawaii experiment station. This large
increase in two years seems to indicate
that the division is appreciated by the
producers of the Territory. The num-
Der of consignors has gradually i'm
creased to about four hundred. i
Consignments .-s !
The number of consignments received
during the past eighteen months was
6S74, an average of more than nineteen
day. The number received in the first
eighteen months of the preceding bien-
NAL period was 1859. These consigns
ments included shipments of nearly all
the products of the islands, with the
exception of sugar, and the consignors
were of many nationalities--a large
percentage being Hawaiian. The gen.
eral condition of the produce coming
to the Honolulu market has gradually
improved, but, to get the best prices for
their produce, most of the farmers will
have to pay more attention to the grad
ing and packing. The division finds
it hard to get farmers to follow written
instructions on matters of grading and
packing, and for this REASON there
should be 'demonstration agents, either
connected or working in cooperation
with the division, whose business it
would be to visit the farms and show
the producers the best methods for the
different lines of produce. .,
Buildings $685..
"The new building on Maunakea
Street, near Queen, which was provided
for by the legislature of 1915, was com
pleted in December of that year, and
the division occupied it at once, movI
ing from the rented quarters on Nuu.
anu and Queen Streets. The facilities
for handling island shipments are now
very good except for dressed meats,
but at times the floor space in the sales.
room is crowded. If the amount of pro
duce handled increases at the rate il
has in the past year, the present build
ing will not be large enough, especially
if cold storage plant is installed. Al
though the appropriation made by the
last Legislature was intended to cover q
small refrigeration plant, this could not
be installed, due to the high cost of the
building itself. ..''.Et#". :
"In spite of the fact that the loca,
ton of the building is off the beaten
trail of small consumers and Maunakes
street has been allowed to get full OF
holes, the division is gradually work
ing up a steady trade for its retail de
partments. The extension of Smith
Street, from King to Queen, would make
the market much more easy Of access
"Due to the necessity of putting the
sausage kitchen in the space set asidt
for the garage, the trucks have to b.
stored in the main building over night
which causes a great deal of inconven
fence. AS the portion of the lot between
the building and Smith Street is lowe1
than the street, the storm water stands
in pools. The lot should be properly
graded and paved. o..
1.-The small fumigation room in Tn,
building has been of great service il
saving losses, through weevils, to thu
producers of beans and corn. There /
now plenty of Office room, and mucl
better work can be done than was pos
sible in the cramped quarters of the oil
building. r,as. -, ...
Market News .E. .. :
"To the weekly market quotation
sheet, which the division has circulated
among the producers Of the Territory
for the past three years, has been added
market letter giving timely informa
ton on the condition of the mari1e
on the different articles OF produce. TIN
list of requests to be placed on the mail
ing list TO receive this weekly circular
is increasing monthly. In addition Il
the two hundred copies mailed to farm
crs direct, several of the paper
throughout the Territory print the cir
culars in full; thus farmers are KEEP
az well posted on the condition of thu
market as the weekly quotations will
permit.
Shipping Packages
"During the past year depots TO
crates and. other shipping material hav
been established on Maui and Hawaii
one at the Haiku demonstration farm
and the other at the Glenwood expert
ment station. At these depots shipper
can secure suitable crates and othc
containers for their produce at COS
price. These depotS win b" increa sed /
number and a greater variety Of pack
ages carried where it will benefit tn
- q a 4. m 81