Approximately 14,000 men and women will be paid nearly $3,000,000 this summer for helping Honolulu’s three pineapple canneries pack the crop of 1938.

Distribution of this amount over a period of three and a half months was seen today as an aid to virtually all lines of retail business, since it represents a substantial increase in community purchasing power.

Marking the opening of the summer harvesting and packing season, many of the additional employees went to work the early part of June. The remainder will be added as the season advances.

Reach Peak in July

These men and women will supplement the regular cannery staffs and will be employed until the harvesting and packing season begins tapering off in September.

Peak of the pack season probably will be reached in July, when canneries will operate 24 hours a day. Efforts are being made by the canneries to provide as much employment as possible.

Hawaii Pineapple Co. expects to employ about 5,000 additional workers at the Honolulu cannery during the packing season. California Packing Corp. and Libby, McNeil and Libby each expect to employ about 4,500.

Season Already On

Many additional workers also will be employed in the pineapple fields on Oahu and the other islands by the three companies during the summer months, and this will increase the general payroll substantially.

New fruit already is beginning to reach the Honolulu Canneries and the packing seasons is well under way.

Shipments of canned pineapple and juice to the mainland increased substantially last week when cargoes totaling about 400.00 cases went forward.

It is estimated that 3,500,00 cases of pineapple and juice left the islands in the first five months of this year.