COMMERCIAL MSHEBIES OP THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 755 



E\ on'thiiig is on a ciisli basis, the successful buyiT counting down the money at 

 once and removing- the tish, which are talien to the market by carriers with baskets 

 slung over their shoulders on poles, and by carts. The principal selling time at the 

 market is in the afternoon, after the dealers have returned from Waiakea. 



WAILUKU. 



The market house at Wailuku is a small building with only 5 stalls, which are 

 run by li Chinese and ."> natives, and is owned by a prixate individual. The market 

 house, with land, is valued at about $1,.5(I0. Most of the tish sold here are brought 

 from Kahului, a few mil.es away, while some ama-ama come from the island of 

 Molokai. The market has no government supervision, which it needs. 



LATIAINA. 



The principal market house at Lahaina is owned by the government and is 

 valued at about i?6,()0(), including th(> land. It contains 6 stalls, which rent at f3 

 per month. These were run in 1900 by 1 American, 4 Japanese, and -i natives. 

 Close by are 'J private stalls, which were operated by 4 Japanese. In addition, in 

 1900, there were ii pri\'ate tish markets in town, with a total valuation of $650. 

 These contained 6 stalls, which were run by 4 Chinese, -t Japanese, and 4 natives. 

 The greater portion of one of these was destroj'ed by fire in the early part of 1901 

 and has not since been rebuilt. 



There is no inspector at Lahaina, although one is ver}' nmch needed, as the sale 

 of tainted fish, particularly by the Japanese, is quite common. Lahaina is the prin- 

 cipal market for the disposal of the fish taken Ity the fishermen on Molokai and 

 Lanai. 



The number of persons employed at these markets has not been shown in the 

 general statistical tables in this report. 



THE ^A^HOLESALE TRADE. 



The wholesale trade in fisher}' products is carried on in two cities — Honolulu 

 and Hilo — and, owing to the constant demand for such articles from the sugar plan- 

 tations, is very profitable. A few of the plantations purchase their supplies direct, 

 and these are not included in the following table. None of the firms is engaged 

 exclusively in this business, all being principally wholesale grocer^' firms. 



Honolulu leads in the wholesale trade in every particular. In 1900 she had 

 9 firms, employing 73 persons, and a total investment, including wages paid, of 

 $348,380 in 1900, while Hilo had .5 firms, with 30 employees, and a total investment 

 of $161,745, including wages. 



Salmon is the principal product handled, followed by sardines, cod, oysters, 

 lobsters, mullets, and shrimp, in the order named. The total value of all products 

 handled amounted to $359,965. 



