172 



Marketing Division 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



Honolulu, April 26, 1918. 



Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, Hono- 

 lulu, T. H. 



Gentlemen: — On July 1, 1917, the Marketing Division was 

 transferred to the Board of Agriculture and Forestry by Act 

 206 of the Session Laws of 1917. The books were audited, and 

 a new system installed by the Audit Company of Hawaii. The 

 new system was more complicated than the previous one, and it 

 has taken time to get a bookkeeper who could keep it in working 

 order. 



The note for $3000 owned to the Bank of Hawaii when the 

 Division was placed under the supervision of the Board has been 

 paid out of the earnings of the Division. Now that this note 

 has been paid it will be possible to work up a cash capital with 

 the earnings, which will enable the Division to make more prompt 

 settlements with consignors, and when necessary advance them 

 money on non-perishable produce received for which there is not 

 a ready market 



Practically all of the pineapple crates have been sold, and as 

 soon as the weather permits the crates that have been stored at 

 Wahiawa and Aiea will be hauled. All the crates stored in Ho- 

 nolulu have been sold. As soon as the attorney general settles 

 the claim against Mr. F. E. Haley for crates sold to him, and 

 which are still unpaid for, we will be able to close the crate 

 account. In closing this crate account there will probably be a 

 small loss due to some crates rotting while in storage at the 

 Territorial Liimigration Station, and the necessity for selling 

 some below cost in order to dispose of them. This loss can be 

 made up out of earnings. 



Due to the lack of equipment, poor location of the Division for 

 retailing, and the uncertainty of the supplies that could be sold at 

 retail, the retail departments did not pay expenses and, with the 

 consent of the Board, they were closed on November 30. The 

 closing of the retail departments has in no way affected the sale 

 of Island produce consigned to the Division. In fact, it has 

 given the Division more time to sell Island produce to whole- 

 salers and the Army at less expense to the Territory and with 

 as good returns to the producer. The force of employees has 

 been reduced to the actual needs of the consignment department. 



During the year the Division received a large number of con- 

 signments of produce from the different islands, with the ex- 

 ception of Kauai. Practically all the produce received was readily 

 sold at the prevailing market prices. Very little beef was received 



