Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-17
MORE HELP FOR
farmers ASKED
OF MERCHANTS
Better Crops Will Be Raised
Only When Market Assured,
Asserts Maui Grower

Mid criticism Of the action of the
| territorial marketing division in as
sisting the small farmers in the terri
tory was voiced at a meeting this
morning by the territorial food com
mission with Honolulu merchants,
other island produce growers and
| commission agents.
The territorial market is not serY-
ing the small man enough, declared
| Haroldt Rice Of Maui. The small
farmer ties his money up in his
crops and when the time comes for
him to sell his produce, he is in the
hole if he has to wait two or three
months for return after the goods
are delivered.
The meeting was called for the pur-
pose of discussing ways and means
/ whereby the local retail merchants
may assist the small farmer by pur-
chasing more home grown produce,
which would, to some extent, lower
imports.
In order to get the best results, ;"
Mr.. Rice continued, the growers and
the merchants must pull together. You
| have got to come forward and help us
| out
81 do not believe we can afford TO
stand the per cent commission paid
| to the marketing division. l believe
| that the farmers should have a man
in Honolulu to handle their trade. We
| want a man who would get out and
hustle. 1t seems to NE that the mar
| keting division is bucking all the mer-
chants in Honolulu and the other fel.
| lows trade.
What's the use of raising better
produce if we can't sell it? have
couple of hundred tons of corn that
will probably have to sell on the
coast because can't sell it in Homo
lulu"
Just what grades of corn may he
grown here, and what grades are in
demand, was the subject of discus
sion the first hour of the meeting.
"In my opinion" said Fred L. Wal
dron, corn is the most important
product raised in these islands for
emergency. 1t is from 100 to 200 per
cent better than it was three years
ago. 1t has been demonstrated that
1t can be raised successfully here. 1t
is one product that can be stored so
that, in case of blockade, it would
be more useful and valuable than any
other product 1t takes the place of
wheat, which cannot be raised here.
The principal thing is to increase
the acreage. This could be done,
presume, through the land commits
sion, which could survey tracts of
land and then induce people to raise
corn on it." w.
AS regards white corn, Representa-
tive ]. j. Walsh of Maui said that it
has been grown in Kula for the last
20 years or more.
1T has been sold," he added. "Who
has bought it? Someone has"
The opinion expressed at the meet
ing was that Honolulu merchants
must. get together and use as much
home grown produce as they can. 1t
was pointed out that this does not
apply solely to corn, but to all other
products raised in the islands.
Among those at the meeting were
j. F. Child, assistant executive Off
Ger of the commission; James d. Dole,
chairman of the commission; Fred l..
Waldron, A. Hebard Case, agent on
Kauai; William Moir, agent on Ha-
wall; F. G. Krauss, agent on Maui;
Oswald Lightfoot. acting superinten-
dent of the territorial market; Mr..
Rice of Maui, Representative Walsh
of Maui, Chun Hoon, John Watt, agett
for Oahu; F.. w. Macfarlaue, Lorr1n
A. Thurston and w. D. Baldwin of
Maui.