The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-02-01
|ISP|NEAPP[E WAR
TINE ESSENTIAL!
Question Discussed BY Draft
Committee Of District Board.
49, No Decision Is Reaehed

\ 49, VIZ "A
E91h the pineepple industry Of Hawaii
20 essentially necessary as an industry
in war times that Il should be regard.
cd Is Al exact parallel Of the sugar Il.
dustry, which the federal government
has already regarded not only as Az
essential but as vitality important
Industry and absolutely necessary TO
aid In the prosecution Of the war;
The question has come before the
district board Of the sclective draft
committee, but has not yet been
answered, although discussed at length
at board meeting held last night.
Much depends upon the result Of the
discussion and the decision arrived az,
"a, II Il IL decided Il .is an essentia,
Enterprise "a the prosecution Of the
war or for the internal welfare of the
country, claims for exemption from
military service will be based upon
TINT decision, and the boards will make
elassihcations Of registtants according
| ~.
Status Of Pineapple
1t has been argued to the board that
the army does not, in seeking a large
part Of the pineapple output Of the
Hawaiian pineapple packers, regard IL
as an essential food, but IL Is merely
secured at government prices TO be
placed on sale in post exchanges ana
other army sales places for the con.
venienee of soldiers and Others living
in military posts Just as many other
Articles are. kept on sale, but not al,
ways furnished as n part Of the gov
efnmcnt food ration. 81
II has been brought to the attention
OF the board that Colonel SchoReld,
chief quaftermaster Of the army here,
has given this as Q memo to a member
Of the board, to give the Official army
status Of the pineapple.
Ths othsr side
On the other hand there are members
Of the board who are strongly In favor
of the view that the pineapple with
its large sugar and acid contents, Is
a necessary article Of food for the In
ternal welfare OF the country, ana
that the industry should therefore be
classed as such. There is also an opin-
ion in the board that 1t is an industry
the maintenance Of which Is vitality es.
sential to the welfare Of a large ma.
jority Of the people, and to strip il OF
employees on the ground that they are
not essential within the meaning o.
the draft regulations and classification
would 20 far toward destroying an in.
dustry which means much to the de-
vel0pment Of the Islands,.
Il The Hawaiian Pineapple Packers As.
ISOLATION, through James D. Dole,
g The Piheppple King and q. p. Jud.
kins, brought the matter to the board 4
attention at the last meeting, express,
ing their opinion in favor of the view
that the industry should be classed a
an essential industry. They argued that
draft boards elsewhere have so regard.
ed industries when the government,
placed large contracts for the outputs
They said that practically the entire
winter pineapple pack Of the Islands
had been Communicated by the govern,
ment. They felt also that pineappies
should be treated differently from 9th
er canned fruits, particularly as the
government happens to be heavy
1 buyer
Statements that have appeared IN
print, based on the fact that the pine,
apple people desire to have their In,
dustry cIassed as an essential industry,
that they likewise desire to have those
employed in IL exempt from the
draft, !" are denied as ridiculous by the
pineapple people. There Is no question
whatever Of exemption for pineapple
employees included in their appearance,
before the district board. In connec
ton with whatever few exemption
that may be asked for, these win b!
taken up on their individual basis, buI
not on the basis Of general employ
ment in the industry. Undoubtedly'
exemption for some few "key men,
essential to the organization, win bl
II aunl;ad Co. la' W.. 'E-. p