The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-09-27

like this.
TnE Gazette Of this week has no stomach for
controversy, and tacitly consents 10 the business Of
our structures Of last week upon It's attempt To
apologize for Ministerial shortcomings. In order
to change the subject however, it suddenly pre-
tends 10 have encountered a side wind anent some
p%estilent alien 81 who would disOrganize and Grip
pie an honest and capable Government" 1t is
difficult to guess who it is that is thus IN danger
Of fOrfeiting the = protection" Of Il Government
which 4 few days ago was 20 thoroughly democrat
lied and 1. crippled - by a score Of It's own re-
iractory subjects.
The FACT that tine healthfulness and prosperity
Of cities very largely depends on an abundant
supply Of pure and wholesome water, not only for
drinking purposes, but as a defence against fire,
Is SO fully recognized in these days, that the great
problem with those centres Of industry and in
t~elligence is now 10 obtain it. New York has ex-
pended prodigious sums in constructing the
CIotOn Aqueduct, Philadelphia boasts Of her
costly EairmOunt, Boston luxuriates in COchit-
uate, and San Francisco has begun to discuss 4
plan Of bringing 4 water supply from a great dis
lance and at an immense cost. To bring the sub
iect home to our little selves, let us say that Homo
lulu has never been properly supplied with water.
Our reservoir when full contains only about
enough water for Z days ordinary consumption,
and in case Of a visitation from fire (from which
our escape hitherto has been wonderfully provi-
dential) we should at best be poorly prepared for
the emergency. The scarcity of the water sup
ply just now emphatically brings to every ones
appreciation these considerations, and it is to be
hoped that the general interest awakened will re-
suit in something being speedily done. The idea
suggested Of bringing the surplus water Of Ma
noa Valley into the city, involves too great and ex-
pensiye an undertaking TO be entertained at pres
ent, though it will perhaps be carried out in the
not very distant future. But the plan proposed by
the Superintendent Of Water Works to the late
Ministry, the specifications Of which are now
probably hiding in some forgotten pigeon-hole,
strikes us rs feasible, sufficient, and not too costly.
His proposition was to construct Il large open
reservoir. Of ten times the capacity of the pres
ent one, and some distance further up the valley.
in which could be gathered in the rainy season and
kept always in reserve n superintendent supply
of water for dry seasons or for fires. We hope to
hear further of this plan of Capt. Longs.
III iMfOhAANtEO VI mdhlL5 cOlLAC llDficloh "
preventing the destruction of the forests and IN
tdergrowth at the head of Nuuanu valley, is
Forcing itself upon the consideration of our citi-
zens. The present short supply of water is a
serious inconvenience, to say nothing Of the dam
ger that threatens in case of 4 fire in the city,
and we cannot but connect the loss of the forest
growth with the drouth. The cause, to our APP
prehension, is no less evident than the effect.
We are aware that the forest conservators of
Europe in general disallOw the theory that for
ests increase the rainfall hut they do maintain
that forests cause 4 greater equalization of the
rainfall through the seasons of the year. Well
wooded countries suffer neither from devastating
torrents of rain nor equally destructive seasons
of drouth. Accepting the theories Of Euro
pean observers as conclusive, we still have sufE-
cient reason to deprecatc the destruction of our
own forests. The plentiful fall of rain last
spring, led many to believe that we should escape
the annoyance Of 4 limited supply of water
through the summer, but we now see the error
of those conclusions. For the want of trees,
shrubbeTy and grasses, whose roots and rootlets
prevent evaporation and hold in reserve the mois-
ture, we now find our water courses dry. The
more intelligent natives notice and comprehend
the reason of the change from former years.
They remark that once it was the case that 4
weeks rain would keep the streams full for
months, but now the effect of the same fall of
rain is not noticeable in the water courses after
the lapse of 4 few days.
If something is not done, and very promptly,
to prevent the destruction of our woods and for
ests, we shall some summer find that our supply
of drinking water will be rs limited rs that for
irrigating purposes to-day. We are having the
same experience in this respect that some of the
West India islands have passed through, and it
behooves us to take measures in time.
NATIVES in the suburbs complain that the wa
ter to which they are entitled for the purpose of
irrigation i diverted from the ancient water
courses and led into the reservoir of the Homo
lulu water works. How far the complaint is
founded on Just grounds We are not aware. and
we do not intend TO discuss the question but
our proposition, (Which our readers will agree
with Ms should be maintained and delended) is
that during a season of drOuth we should all
equally bear the annoyance and loss, and that no
Individual or class should be deprived of rights
in order to accommodate or Tacily another in
dividual or class.
To the agriculturist in the valley who has been
carrying water in buckets TO his taro patch
throughout the weary hours Of the night, to pre-
serve the staff of life for his family, it is far from
modifying when he walks through the town to
see ut all hours the cOpiOus and refreshing Jets
thrown from the numerous taps 10 water the
ornamental plants Of the well-tO-do tOwnsman.
It tends 10 reawaken the sometimes dormant
jealousy Of those who are 10 the manor born as
to what they believe TO be their rights, and gives
color to the suspicion that the stranger cares for
none but himself. Complaints are made to the
authorities. but are UNDECIDED or ut least fruit