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November 23, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

An Extraordinary ‘Happening’ – a Pre-Bicentennial Event in Hawai‘i

“Nichiren Shoshu Academy is a branch of Soka Gakkai of Japan, a lay organization made up of followers of a Japanese Buddhist sect called Nichiren Shoshu, whose own roots go deep into Japanese culture.”

“Soka Gakkai was founded as an educational society prior to World War II and after the war experienced a period of rapid growth. “In 1979, it claimed a membership of 7,880,000 households (Japan Times Weekly, May 12, 1979). It is not only the largest religious organization in Japan today, but the largest organization of any kind.” (Yoko Yamamoto Parks, 1980)

“Around 1970 NSA leaders adopted a further ‘Americanizing’ strategy by presenting the movement as a force for the revitalization of American revolutionary ideals. On the one hand, the American Revolution of 1776 was defined as an ‘ideal,’ conducted in a true ‘spirit of democracy’ and a ‘pioneer spirit.’”

“But on the other, NSA contended, this tradition of a democracy at the service of the interests of every individual had collapsed in America under the weight of problems of war, drugs, racial discrimination, and a pervasive sense of anomie.”

“NSA was presented as a movement to bring America back to the spirit of democracy, freedom, and happiness (NSA Quarterly, 1975 Special Summer Issue).” (Yoko Yamamoto Parks)

NSA “calls itself: ‘A non-profit organization aimed at building better communities through restoring hope and confidence among individual citizens, who often are discouraged and disillusioned by the complex problems facing modem society …’”

“‘NSA’s many activities are all an expression of renewed courage, determination and happiness in meeting the challenge of modem times.’” (Smyser, Star Bulletin)

“In 1969 the ‘Spirit of 1776’ was chosen as the theme of the NSA National Convention for that year.” (Yoko Yamamoto Parks) Then, in 1975, as part of Pre-Bicentennial activities, “A ‘HAPPENING’ took place in Waikiki last weekend that deserves understanding, but may defy it.”

“Twenty thousand white. black and yellow members of Nichirenshoshu Sokagakkai Academy (NSA for short) put on:

The most fantastic parade Kalakaua Avenue has ever seen.
From an offshore floating stage, a daytime International Show and Water Festival, and a dramatic nighttime Spirit of ‘76 Pre-Bicentennial Pageant.
Three nights of gigantic fireworks displays.
Three days of a Polynesian Village exhibit at Fort DeRussy.”

“They called their gathering a convention, but there were no business sessions, or debates, or resolutions, just the events staged and prepared by the members themselves, and free to the public as NSA’s ‘Bicentennial gift to the people of Hawaii.’” (Smyser, Star Bulletin)

On Saturday, July 26, 1975, Waikiki Beach became an outdoor arena for thousands of spectators attending the SGI-USA’s Twelfth US Nationwide General Meeting.

“Among the highlights for the 20,000 members were the International Show and Water Festival and the Spirit of ’76 Pre-Bicentennial Pageant, both held on an offshore floating stage.” (Star Adv)

There was entertainment from a floating island stage anchored in waters off Waikiki opposite the Surfrider Hotel. “The Multi-Million-dollar stage measures 100 by 150 feet and the volcano backdrop with its rear projection screen stands as high as a five-story building. The stage weighs more than 2,500 tons in addition to 20 tons of props.”

“Hidden behind the floating stage is a smaller barge area with a fresh water supply, dressing rooms, toilets, and rest areas for the several thousand performers and crew members.” (Hnl Adv, July 25, 1975)

“The floating stage was an amazing engineering challenge as fireworks were shot off from the volcano, there was a rear projection screen and hundreds of performers were shuttled by boat at night to perform on stage.”

“It was quite an amazing production to say the least. To bring a floating stage in required the EPA’s and Hawaiian Government’s approval.” (James C. Stephens)

“A Polynesian Village we constructed in the warehouse and moved in the middle of the night from the old Dole Pineapple warehouse to Fort DeRussy in downtown Waikiki.” (James C. Stephens)

“The Polynesian Village requires one hell of a lot of bamboo. I’m sure we’ve used well into 14,000 pieces of bamboo. Well, the Ranger let’s us cut in the bamboo forest reserve. They wouldn’t even let the Boy Scouts cut any during the big Jamboree.” (James C. Stephens)

“Virtually every aspect of the convention – from building the stage and props to writing the shows’ songs and dances to moving members’ luggage to the hotels – has been planned, organized and carried out by NSA members themselves.”

“Convention planners estimate that about 350,000 work hours – almost all voluntary – have gone into the design and production of the stage. Hundreds of members have been working for months in Hawaii and elsewhere”.

“In this way NSA members believe the convention serves to ‘tap the unknown potential’ in themselves. Or, as the convention booklet says: …”

“‘In challenging themselves to do what’s never been done before, people find that by working together they can conquer their limitations and discover new capabilities.’” (Hnl Adv, July 25, 1975)

November 22, 2025 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

‘Where America’s Day Really Begins’

An island is a body of land surrounded by water. (Continents are also surrounded by water, but because they are so big, they are not considered islands.) An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. The atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon. (National Geographic)

Wake is a small tropical coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean consisting of three islands (Peale, Wake, and Wilkes) enclosing a shallow, central lagoon and surrounded by a narrow fringing reef.

From reef to reef, the atoll is approximately 5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. The atoll is about 2,460-miles west of Hawaiʻi, 1,600-miles east of Guam and 700-miles north of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands.

Oral traditions claim that the Marshallese knew of Wake Atoll prior to contact with European navigators. The Marshallese name for the atoll was Eneen-Kio or Ane-en Kio, “Island of the kio flower.”

The atoll was a source of feathers and plumes of seabirds. Prized were the wing bones of albatross, from which tattooing chisels could be made. In addition, the rare kio flower grew on the atoll.

Bringing these items to the home atolls implied that the navigators had been able to complete the feat of finding the atoll using traditional navigation skills of stars, wave patterns and other ocean markers. (Spennemann)

Today, it is more commonly referred to as ‘Wake Island’ or ‘Wake Atoll’ (rediscovery of Wake and its naming is usually credited to Captain William Wake of the British trading schooner Prince William Henry, enroute from Port Jackson, Australia to Canton in China in 1792). (NPS)

Wake, to the west of Honolulu, Hawaii, is the northernmost atoll in the Marshall Islands geological ridge and perhaps the oldest living atoll in the world. Wake Atoll was claimed by the United States in 1898; formal possession of Wake was made by the US on January 17, 1899.

Pan American Airways applied in 1935 for permission to establish a seaplane base at Wake for its “Clipper” flying boats, the pioneer trans-Pacific air route: San Francisco, Hawaii, Midway, Wake, Guam, Manila, and later, Hong Kong.

Pan Am commenced its profitable transpacific airmail delivery service on November 22, 1935, and its transpacific passenger service nearly a year later on November 4, 1936. (HALS UM-1) The flight across the Pacific then took six days. (NPS)

Pan Am the blasted over one hundred coral heads from within Wake’s lagoon to prepare a suitable landing area for its “Clippers”. Pan Am passengers debarked at the lagoon-end of a long docking pier and passed through a pavilion on the shore side of the pier on their way to the Pan Am hotel. (HALS UM-1)

Just as a prefab hotel was built on Midway, a prefabricated hotel building was built on Wake. The hotel was Y-shaped, with the lounge and dining room in the center and 20 rooms in each of the two flanking wings. It was sited to take advantage of views across the lagoon.

Between 1935 and 1941, the Pan Am seaplane station on Peale Island consisted of a landing docking and shelter, a single-story hotel, crew and personnel quarters, recreation building, sick bay, shop and warehouse buildings, utility structures and communication facilities. (HALS UM-1)

The location of Wake Island made it a strategic location for both the US and Japan. It was recognized that if war broke out between Japan and the US, Wake could: …

… provide for a defensive outpost; enable long range reconnaissance deep into enemy territory; enable the disruption of shipping; serve as staging ground for offensive operations; and be utilized as an emergency air station. (Butowsky)

Wake was substantially modified by the US to create a military base before WWII. As part of the WWII build-up, by mid-1941, construction of the Naval Air Station seaplane base included a seaplane ramp and parking area on the lagoon side of central Peale Island.

The Japanese declared war on the US with its attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the same day in another time zone attempted to seize Wake Island.

The Japanese opening attack of Wake came swiftly by air at 11:58 am (local time) on December 8, 1941; Wake was defended by about 500-military personnel (about one-quarter of its intended size.) In addition, there were about 1,200-civilian workers on the atoll.

Despite the earlier preparations, none of the defensive installations were sufficiently completed by the time of the Japanese attack. (The facilities were estimated to have been only 65-percent finished.)

The island finally fell on December 23, 1941; with the fall of Wake Island to the Japanese in late-December 1941, Midway became their westernmost US outpost in the central Pacific. More than 700-Japanese were killed during the attacks, while only 52-US military personnel lost their lives.

The Japanese took approximately 1,600 prisoners of war (POWs), 450 of whom were military personnel. The American POWs were sent to Japanese prison camps, mostly in China but some in Japan. Of these 1,600, 360 were retained by the Japanese to work as forced laborers for the Japanese.

In September, 1942, all were removed from the island except for ninety-eight of the prisoners (all civilian heavy equipment operators, except for one doctor) who were kept on Wake to assist the Japanese in developing their defensive positions on the atoll. (HALS UM-1)

(A sad side story notes that on October 7, 1943 when the Japanese saw subsequent invasion of Wake, Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara ordered the execution of the 98-American civilian prisoners. They were taken to one side of the island and shot with machine guns.)

(One prisoner escaped and carved a memorial into a large rock “98 US PW 5-10-43;” it’s still there. This prisoner was caught and also executed shortly after. After the war, Sakaibara and his subordinate, Lieutenant-Commander Tachibana, were sentenced to hang for this massacre.) The memory of their sacrifice is sustained by the inscription on “POW Rock” on Wilkes Island.

During their almost 4-year occupation of Wake, the Japanese constructed elaborate shoreline defenses. The Japanese widened and lengthened the US-built runway on the eastern side of the south arm of Wake Island and built two additional runways.

From 1941 to 1945, the Japanese stationed as many as 4,000 troops on the atoll at any given time, and they continued their development of Wake Island unabated until June of 1943.

In July of 1943, American bombers, who had begun bombing and shelling Wake since February of 1942, attacked Japanese coastal defense positions. On August 13, 1945, Marine planes conducted their last attack on Japanese positions on Wake, and on September 4, 1945, Admiral Sakaibara surrendered Wake Island back to the US.

Today, Wake serves as a trans-Pacific refueling stop for military aircraft and supports Missile Defense Agency test activities. Wake is currently managed by the Pacific Air Force Support Center located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, and falls under 11th Air Force. (15^th Wing)

https://api.dvidshub.net/hls/video/536620.m3u8?api_key=key-55f197190d6a3

A little personal side story … When Pan Am used Midway and Wake as stopping points for flights across the Pacific, my grandmother (Laura Sutherland) was Assistant Head Librarian for the Library of Hawai‘i in charge of the “Extension Department.”

My grandmother took advantage of these flights and expanded the reach of her “Extension Department” by supplying reading material to residents on Midway and Wake, with the cooperation of Pan Am. Each week, a new supply of books was added to the flights in what is believed to be America’s only Flying Library Service.

Oh, the title to this piece? … Guam, a US Territory, adopted a de facto motto is “Where America’s Day Begins”; but that’s not technically true. Wake is 1,500-miles further east, right next to and west of the International Date Line. Given that placement with the Dateline, while most in America are experiencing a new day, folks on Wake are already into tomorrow.

“The dawn’s earliest light — the first rays of sun on US soil – shine upon Wake Island. Every morning America wakes up on Wake Island.” The sign on the Wake airstrip terminal building reads “Where America’s Day REALLY begins.” (CBSNews)

November 21, 2025 by Peter T Young 7 Comments

Club Jetty

“No Tank Tops, No Shorts, No Bare Feet.”

“Club Jetty resembles the scene from an old Bogie flick. There are places like it in Singapore and Hong Kong and Macao. Fans spin overhead. Guests dine of Formica-topped tables.”

“And once a week when the liner Oceanic Independence tied up outside, Mama’s cafebar is swamped.” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, November 1, 1981)

Club Jetty opened in 1946; it evolved from ‘Hale Aina’ (Kauai’s first steak house,) a restaurant located a Nāwiliwili Transportation Company building at the bottom of the hill that leads up to Kaua‘i High School.

The restaurant moved to a Nāwiliwili Yacht Club building in about 1950 in part to help cater meals for “Pagan Love Song,” Kaua‘i’s first color feature Hollywood film.

Later Tom King of the Territorial Harbors Division moved it to a larger building along the jetty at Nāwiliwili Harbor … it became Club Jetty. (TGI)

“Mama” Emma Ouye started it; she was born in Hanalei on October 13, 1907, to Chee Chong Hing and Pepe Malia.

Ouye graduated from Kaua‘i High School and was helped in gaining an education through the support of GN Wilcox, a friend of her father. She married Manji James Ouye in 1927. (TGI)

Club Jetty became a leading Kaua‘i night spot, with entertainers coming from Las Vegas, Honolulu and other locales to perform, in addition to Hawaiian, jazz and rock musicians from Kaua‘i during several eras from the 1950s through the 1980s when Nāwiliwili served as the center of nightlife in Līhuʻe and the rest of Kaua‘i.

One notable, Kui Lee, who had been performing on the mainland for about 10-years, returned to Hawaiʻi and came to Club Jetty, in 1961. Then, he became a part-time performer and doorman at Honey’s nightclub in Kaneohe (owned by Emily “Honey” Ho, mother of Don) – launching pad of Don Ho.

Besides a local favorite, Club Jetty also attracted notable celebrities.

One time, in the early 1960s, filming was going on for John Ford’s Donovan’s Reef, with John Wayne, Lee Marvin and others.

During filming of Donovan’s Reef on Kauai the cast stayed at the Kauai Inn on Nāwiliwili Bay. John Ford also had his yacht anchored in Nāwiliwili Harbor. John Wayne and Lee Marvin were reported to be bunking on the yacht.

“John Wayne would swim in, and try to hide the fact that he was all dripping wet. Grandma said she was trying to stop him from doing that.”

“She had him come by when she fed the shark (who frequented the waters off the club.) She would chant at night, to attract shark. John Wayne saw the shark, he was petrified and never swam into the club again.” (Pono Ouye; TGI)

Club Jetty “became a must for visiting celebrities from Washington, DC, to Hollywood and beyond. They were all charmed by Mama and her casual Aloha, returning again for the wonderful food and the good times.” (KHS;TGI)

“If you help people with their life, you will receive help with yours.” (Ouye; TGI)

Unfortunately, like other iconic remnants of the past (as in Coco Palms,) Club Jetty was destroyed in 1992 by Hurricane Iniki.

November 20, 2025 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Coconut Grove

Kailua Ahupua‘a is the largest on the windward side of O‘ahu, and the largest ahupua‘a of the Koʻolaupoko District. From the Koʻolau ridge line it extends down two descending ridge lines which provide the natural boundaries for the sides of the ahupua‘a.

The natural environment includes the sand accretion barrier upon which Kailua Town stands, the mountainous upland terrain and alluvial valley of Maunawili, the largest fresh water marsh in Hawai‘i (Kawainui Marsh), another inland pond (Kaʻelepulu) and intermittent streams. (Cultural Surveys)

When the first Polynesians landed and settled in Hawaiʻi (about 900 to 1000 AD (Kirch)) they brought with them shoots, roots, cuttings and seeds of various plants for food, cordage, medicine, fabric, containers, all of life’s vital needs.

“Canoe crops” (Canoe Plants) is a term to describe the group of plants brought to Hawaiʻi by these early Polynesians. One of these was ‘niu,’ the coconut; they used it for food, cordage, etc.

Later, others saw commercial opportunities from coconuts.

In 1906, Albert and Fred Waterhouse were walking over sand dunes along the approximately one-mile wide by two-and-a-half-mile long area between Kawainui Marsh and the ocean, when they envisioned the idea of planting coconut trees there.

“During the week papers will be filed with the Treasurer for the incorporation of the Hawaiian Copra Co, having lands under (a 29-year) lease from Mr Castle. …”

“(The land) is … two-hundred and fifty acres adapted to the cultivation of cocoanut trees, of which it has twenty thousand, half of which are nearly three feet high and the balance recently planted.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, May 12, 1907)

“Samples of copra (dried meat of coconut) grown here have been forwarded to San Francisco …. The quality of the product is excellent, comparing favorably with that of the best grade received in that market, and the price per pound is satisfactory. So well pleased are the people on the Coast that they have signified a willingness to take all that can be shipped to them.”

“The copra is compressed and the extracted oil used in the manufacture of soaps, and as oils in the manufacture of high-grade paints. Another use to which it is put is the manufacture of shredded cocoanut, which is utilized by confectioners and bakers. The fiber is made into hawsers (ropes) for towing purposes.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, May 12, 1907)

They “leveled the sand dunes and smoothed out the sand hillocks,” and planted approximately 320-acres with over 130,000-coconut trees.

Many rows of ironwood trees were also planted as a windbreak and a fence had to be built to keep cattle out. (Drigot)

“The (coconuts were) secured from Kauai …. We have sunk one well and found water at a depth of 51-feet. It is our intention to sink about 25-such wells for irrigation purposes.”

“Our trees will be of the Samoan variety and will bear when about seven years old. There is very little labor needed. Eight men will take care of the whole place, so we will have no labor problem to contend with.” (Maui News, September 17, 1907)

“One of the uses to which copra is put and for which there has not yet been found an available substitute is in the production of salt water soap, soap that will lather and be effective in salt water.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, September 15, 1907)

Things looked up.

“George A Moore & Co, commission merchants, of San Francisco, see no reason why Hawaiian copra should not compete more than favorably with other South Sea copra in the mainland market.… (He noted,) We beg to call to your attention the large consumption in this market of dried cocoanut, commercially known as copra, which reaches as high as fifteen thousand tons per annum.”

“Most of our importations are brought from the Pacific and South Sea Islands, but having recently seen a small parcel which issued from the Hawaiian Islands of very good quality it occurs to us and we see no reason why large quantities of this could not be brought from the American island possessions, notably the Hawaiian Islands.”

“For your information we would say that the ripe cocoanuts are cracked open and exposed to the sun, whereupon the meat shrinks from the shell and the dried meat itself constitutes the commodity above referred to, which is today realizing in our market 3 3/8 c US gold.”

“Cocoanut plantations in the Pacific Islands for the production of copra have now become quite an extensive and profitable venture, and we have no doubt it would prove so to your planters. ” (Peters; Pacific Commercial Advertiser, December 17, 1908)

It didn’t last. … In 1916, the copra/coconut oil enterprise failed.

The Waterhouses sold their “Coconut Grove” to AH Rice, who planned a residential subdivision in the area. In 1924, Earl H Williams, of Liberty Investment Co, acquired 200-acres from Rice and began the subdivision process (the Coconut Grove Tract.) (Drigot) At the end of World War II, Kailua began a real estate and development boom.

As the landscape became urbanized, flooding became a problem. There are reports of major flooding in this area in the years 1921 and 1940. In 1939, Congress instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a survey of the Marsh area and to assess its value as a flood control basin.

Kailua town as a whole suffered a severe flood in 1951 and 250-people were forced to evacuate their homes in the area. The Oneawa Channel (Kawainui Canal) was under construction in 1952 to prevent the major flooding of the Kailua residential area situated on the edge of the marsh. Subsequent severe floods occurred in 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1963.

Finally, the “permanent” stage of the Federal-State Kawainui Flood Control Project, first targeted for this area in the 1930s, was completed in 1966. This project entailed “dredging the debris and widening the Kawainui Canal, and building a 9-foot high levee to hold back storm water and widening the inner canal”.

However, from December 1968 through January 1969, as much as 8-inches of water covered a large area from Oneawa Street to Kihapai Street. The levee and Canal had eliminated direct overflow from the marsh, but flooding still occurred. (Drigot)

In 1988, floodwaters breached the levee. it was later modified by the Army Corps and City in 1997 raising its height and constructing a concrete floodwall to address the 100-year flood level estimated for Kawainui Marsh. (HHF)

November 19, 2025 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Garden Contest

“Impressed with the barrenness of plantation camps, Mr (Frank S) Scudder (editor of The Friend) arranged for a supply of government seeds and shrubs. He then offered prizes … In a few months’ time, districts without grass or trees were converted into what, comparatively speaking, might well be termed veritable beauty spots.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)

“We desire to furnish plantation laborers with fruit seed so they can have fruit in their own dooryards. If you have fine mangoes, or aligator pears, don’t throw away the seeds, keep them and let us have them to distribute. Any fine strawberry guavas? or any suggestions as to other fruits that can be easily raised?”

“Our ears are open to suggestions as to ways in which hardworking people, without much restful leisure, may be led to improve their home surroundings—to make the camps more delectable places to live in. Any suggestions as to flower or decorative plants? The Friend will be glad to receive Seed Thoughts.” (The Friend, February 1, 1911)

“In 1909 we planned a tree planting campaign. Mr. Ralph W. Hosmer, superintendent of forestry, kindly agreed to raise 2000 trees for free distribution in the camps.”

“The To mo – a Japanese magazine published by the Hawaiian Board – to add zest to the competition, offered four prizes for the best results in tree culture which could be attained in one year. Mr BD Baldwin, of Makaweli, offered $25 in prizes for his plantation.”

“Arbor Day, 1909, was set as the day for delivering and planting the trees. … The awarding of prizes was a delicate task. Some contestants had excelled in securing artistic effects, some in producing the finest trees and some in attaining remarkable results in spite of serious handicaps.”

“The consequence was that instead of giving five prizes as at first promised, the judges had to award eight second prizes as the only possible way out of their dilemma.”

“The writer was so perplexed that his dreams were disturbed by visions of trees and prizes and judges, and he chose as the subject of his prize awarding address the words, ‘I see men as trees, walking.’ The saplings, when set out on Arbor Day, 1909, averaged about 8 inches in height. At the close of the contest Dec. 31, 1910, they ranged from 6 to 15 feet.” (The Friend, March 1, 1911)

“Improved conditions throughout the plantation camps of the islands may be said to be a byproduct of this initial attempt to interest the people in producing a prize winning garden.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)

Then, the Star-Bulletin sponsored the contest. In January, 1917, the Honolulu Star- Bulletin began an interesting experiment in the form of a school and home garden contest in cooperation with the school department, offering a series of prizes for the best gardens on each of the islands. (Kuykendall)

“With greater financial backing and a more elaborate publicity campaign, the Star-Bulletin can hardly fail to get results. Interest in school gardens has a direct bearing upon the much-mooted question of the small farmer in Hawaii. We bespeak for the campaign a well merited success.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)

At the close of the contest, three months later, the Star-Bulletin said, with pardonable enthusiasm, “This garden contest has been a remarkable eye-opener, not only to the teachers and pupils, but even to the agricultural experts here, an eye-opener in proving how quickly boys and girls can be trained to raise edible and marketable produce.”

“As a result of this contest, not less than 5,000 boys and girls in Hawaiʻi are becoming producers – are becoming practical gardeners. Twice that number are interested in the gardening.” (Kuykendall)

The Honolulu Advertiser generously acknowledged the good results of this contest, stating that “the management of the Star-Bulletin has, apparently, hit upon a scheme which has accomplished much and promises more. …”

“The best part of the project is that it demonstrates to those who need the knowledge, that vegetables can be produced in all parts of the Territory, if proper care and attention is given them. … The Advertiser congratulates the Star-Bulletin upon the success of its public spirited efforts which are doubly beneficial at this crisis when food production may become one of the vital issues of the day.” (Kuykendall)

“So successful the home and garden contests recently conducted by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and so urgent has been the demand for continuation of the work for which the foundation already has been laid, this paper has decided repeat the contests during the coming school year.” (Star-Bulletin, August 17, 1917)

“The Star-Bulletin contest is a splendid thing both in attracting the attention of the public to the subject and in reaching in a practical and effective way those who, I believe, have the first right to be and ought to be encouraged to be, the future farmers in the Islands – the children born in the land.”

“I am afraid that I have but little sympathy with the idea of encouraging white farmers from the mainland to come to Hawaii.”

“In addition to this work of encouraging the boys and girls to look forward to life on the farm, which the Star-Bulletin is so splendidly helping along, there is need of providing a decent opportunity for them when they are ready to go on the land, and of surrounding their life there with conditions conducive to success and contentment.”

“However, there is cause for much encouragement too. Behind one of the most important measures is the splendid backing of Mr CH Cooke and Mr HA Baldwin, which ensures its passage.” (Edwin C. Moore, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Star-Bulletin, January 24, 1917) The contest continued for a few more years.

An interesting side note related to the Garden Contest came from a report by J Vincent, Principal of Kealahou School in Kula, “For years the Kula farmers have planted small plots to onions but from any seed they happened to purchase in five-cent jackets in our local stores and no special variety was even thought of.”

“This spelled failure end the majority of our farmers had come to the conclusion that onions could not be successfully grown in Hawaii.”

“Our school experimented with a number of varieties but did not have much success until a representative from Aggeler & Musser (Seed) Company called on us and recommended that we plant Bermudas, which we did.” (Bermuda is a variety of sweet onion.)

“We then succeeded in raising a fair crop and in a remarkably short time, as Bermudas mature very early. The farmers became enthusiastic and purchased over 50 pounds of seed. They also raised a fine crop ….” (Star-Bulletin, April 14, 1917)