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THE MAUI NEWS, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1916.
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THE MAUI NEWS
Entered at the I'ost Office at Wniluku, Maul, Hawaii, as second-class matter.
A Republican Pater Published in the Interest of the People
Issued livery Friday.
MAUI PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED,
Proprietors and Publishers
Subscription Rates, $2.50 ikk Yuar in Advance.
WILL J. COOPER,
FRIDAY
EDITOR AND MANAGER
MARCH 31. I'.'l'i.
AGRICULTl 7. II PREPARliDNIiSS.
Tin" resignation of Jarcd Ci. Smith as professor of agronomy, at
the College of Hawaii, at the request of the hoard of regents, conies as
s imeihing of a surprise. The explanation of Mr. Smith that he is
rot in sympathy with the aims of the institution in fostering diversi
fied agriculture, is also surprising. Mr. .Smith resigned as director of
the Hawaii experiment station some years ago, in order to devote
himself to the culture of tobacco. It is understood that he is still
interested in tobacco, and confident that tobacco will one day be an
importnat product of these Islands. He has also shown interest in
coffee and a number of other products. In spite of these facts he
holds that the College of Hawaii should devote it.-elf chiefly to the
siigar industry, and because the regents have not this viewpoint, he is
no longer a member of the faculty.
We do not believe Mr. Smith is right. The sugar industry has
already reached a high state of efliciencey and has ample facilities for
research work, and for the training of experts in its various branches,
'i he College has its department of sugar technology, w hich is proper,
but to devote the chief resources of the institution to this department
would certainly be a mistake. Everybody who knows anything tbout
Hawaii at all, including Mr. Smith, agrees that our greatest need is
that these Islands should have a broader basis of industry than afford
ed by sugar and pineapples, important as these are and probably always
will be. The desirability of making productive the land not suited for
our two main crops is clearly patent. But Mr. Smith thinks the time
lor this has not come. On the contrary, the demand for a broader system
of agriculture is already most insistent. It is no longer a question
as to the need the thing is to supply this need which does exist. And
the College of Hawaii is the institution to discover and point out the
way. Sugar and pineapples are able to lake care of themselves, but
a is entirely conceivable that something, sometime, might cripple these
great industries. Should that time ever come it is sincerely to be hoped
that we shall have something to fall back upon. It is by no means too
early to develop this line of preparedness.
8 8 8 8 8
WANTED MORE VEGETABLES.
The fact that the various Maui markets bring in a large quantity
of ordinary garden vegetables from Honolulu every month to supply
their customers, will probably be a surprise to a good many persons.
Rut such is the case. Moreover the quality of these vegetables is often
very inferior, and the price is always excessive. One dealer states
that his vegetable bill amounts to about $150 per month. He isn't
satisfied with what lie gets, but cannot supply his customers in any
other manner. If he could get a dependable supply of home grown
vegetables of good quality, and a reasonable figure, he states lie coub1
easily dispose of much more than he does at present.
There would seem to be an opportunity here for some one to
develop a nice little business in producing this kind of produce. It
can be done, though not by everyone who might be tempted to try it.
It is an exacting kind of business, and it takes a good quality of brains
, to do it successfully. Just as an example, sweet corn is one of the
scarcest products in the Islands at almost all seasons. It is seldom
quoted at less than $1 per hundred. Just at present it is selling at
from $2 to $2.50 per hundred, which with a reasonably good yield
should mean a gross return of $200 to 300 per acre to the man who
had it to market just now. Of course the local market is limited, and
could be easily overstocked, but the experienced truck grower should
be able to have produce at seasons when it would amply pay to ship
the surplus to Honolulu, or even to California. Market gardening
isn't a lazy man's .vocation, but some men are able to make a very
nice living out of it.
FOR A SQUARE DEAL POLICY.
The proposition which the pineapple growers are putting up to
the canners, by which the man who produces the raw fruit will lose
money only when the man who puts it on the market loses, is of course
the only fair way. During the past two years the contracts in existence
enabled the canneries to show a small profit, but nobody attempts to
claim that the growers did not lose heavily, probably without exception.
As far as moral right goes, the man who has his money invested in
a pineapple cannery cannot expect to take a profit or escape a loss
at the expense of the man who spent his money and labor in the field.
There are persons who don't believe this kind of doctrine, but they
would have found more company a quarter of a century ago than they
will now. Business is still business, but it is no longer good form to
do some of the things that used to be clone in the name of business.
8 8 8 8 8'
DOX'T DELAY FAIR PLANS.
There should be no more delay in getting the organization of the
Maui County Fair perfected. The time is growing short. President
Wadsworth, of the chamber of commerce, who will also be chairman
of the fair committee, was authorized to fill out the committee of 13 in
case the organizations asked to name representatives failed to do so.
It is much to be hoped that all these organizations will do this, because
it is desirable that the fair be thoroughly representative, but neglect
in this regard should not be permitted to cause delay. The committee
should be in position to get clown to business within another week.
8 8 8 8 8
WAR AND THE PAPER SUPPLY.
For many months past the price of all kinds of paper has been
climbing upwards, on account of the interference of the European
war, which has cut off the supply for raw materials of some grades of
aper, and the chemicals and dye stuffs on which American manu
facturers have depended. Xow the United .Slates department of com
merce has sent out circulars urging the people of the country to
save their waste paper and rags' in order that the threatened paper
. amine may be as light as possible. All grades of paper stock is now
quoted subject to immediate acceptance, and the end is not in sight.
8 8 8 8 8
Just why the school teachers of Hawaii should decline to join the
National Education Association, as they have recently done, is not
clear. It is probably simply indifference. The time has not yet come,
cither here or on the mainland, when more than a small proportion of
teachers take their occupation seriously. Most of them do not con
sider it as their life work. This was well shown in the Islands by the
lack of enthusiasm over the pension system instituted by the last
legislature.
8 8 8 8 8
In spite of the impression that seems to prevail that the county has
unlimited money to spend, the fact is stated on good authority that
unless the greatest care is exercised Maui may face a situation some
what like that of Honolulu before any more tax money comes in. The
county will begin registering warrants very shortly, if it has not already
done so. ,
8 8 8 8 8
Governor Pinkham told a school of boys, last week, that the man
who was opposed to preparedness is a cow ard. Most school boys find
out sooner or later that it isn't always safe to call another a coward
on the strength of appearances.
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