The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-06-05

taught this art to man in Egypt. In the earliest
times, that was a land Of irrigating canals, for
we read in Genesis Of Lot, who emigrated from
Egypt to the neighborhood Of the Jordan, that
he " lifted up his eyes, and behold ell the plain Of
Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere,
before the Lord destroyed S0dom and Gomorrah,
even as the garden Of the Lord, like the land of
Egypt, as thou CONTEST unto Zoar." The art of
irrigation was extensively practiced in ancient
times in Persia, in India, and by the Romans.
In Peru, the ancient civilization of the people is
attested by the ruins Of immense irrigation works.
In Spain, France and Italy to-day, great atten-
ton Is paid to irrigation by the State, and in
each Of those countries, Government, has either
constructed works, or enacted laws to regulate
the distribution of the water go necessary to the
general prosperity.
Spain may be described as a country where the
water is more valuable than the land in a ratio Of
from five to twenty. The Spaniards have an
experience of a thousand years behind them in
irrigation. There is probably no part of the
world where water is more carefully applied, and
there certainly is no country where the legislation
is more clear and precise. Irrigation in Spain is
the legacy left by the Moors. All or nearly all
Of the old systems were the work Of this wonder
full people. Not only the works but the customs Of
the MoOrs remain in some of the provinces almost
untouched since their departure. We find in
Spain every variety in administrative systems for
using the water. In Valencia, in the lands irri-
gated from the Jucar river and Muryiedro, the
water and the land are, so to speak. married
without a possibility of divorce when the land
is sold the water that ~irrigatcs it goes with it.
Neither can be sold separately. The ~irrigator
cannot even dispose Of his turn or privilege of
water.
Italy employs for irrigation more than u, 900
cubic feet of water per second, supplying 900 900
acres Of land. Ii is estimated that there have
been expended for the irrigation of 1000 900
acres in Lombardy not less than $500, 200, 900.
This expenditure has been spread over seven
hundred years and has made Lombardy a garden.
The returns from this large investment of capital
arc to be sought in the indirect revenues accruing
to the Government from the increase productions
and the general prosperity Of che country. The
canals are chiefly owne1 by the Government
some, however, are in private hands. The sam
lesson is to be learned here as in India as a
financial investment for private parties; irrigation
works have not generally been favorable.
Irrigation is quite extensively p~racticed in
EhLt III ccNGIdl utM ANA nave Deen Dul1I
within the past few years. The principle of
management Of works by the irrigators applies
here as well as in Spain and Italy. There is,
however, more interference by the Government.
The Government owns no canals they are gener-
ally built by the landowners. The Government
encourages the construction of canals. In the
charter for the Carpentras canal, built in 1854,
the i~rrigators were guaranteed that no increase of
the land assessment shoald be made for twenty
five years after the completion Of the works.
There is no provision N the French law cores
ponding to the Spanish, which permits a majority
Of proprietors to carry on an irrigation enterprise
and compels the minority to bear their share of
the expenses. When a charter for a canal is
given, it states the quantity of water which is
granted. The plans for the works must be APP
proved by the Government. In some cases the
canals are built under the direction of the engi-
rsers of the corps of POINTS ct Chaussees. In all
cases the works are periodically inspected by the
engineers of the corps.
There could be no more important project sub
United by the Ministry to the next Legislature,
nor one involving considerations of greater inter
est, than a plan for the irrigation of the wide
extent of arabic land on the northeastern slope OF
Haleakala, on Maui, extending from Makawao to
the plains of Kahului, known as the q Commons
and amounting to about 100 900 acres There
is no end to the capacity of those lands for agri-
cultural productions, particularly sugar. Water
only is lacking, and in lacking this they lack
everything necessary to give value. In the dry
seasons, often extending through half the year,
these rich, alluvial slopes are a desert, dry and
parched, scarce fit for a goat pasture, and covered
with clouds of dust raised by the trade winds
that sweep across the country. With water, the
change that would come over this now barren
and worthless " kula . would be almost magical.
1t would convert the desert waste into productive
lands, the seat of thriving industries, and add
immensely to the wealth of the country at large.
Now it happens that away up on the south
eastern side of Haleakala, there are several run
ming streams of water, one of which at least is
never known to be dry, and which are now dis
charging their wealth of water into the sea in the
district OF KoOlau.
During the Session Of 1872, a member for
Waikiki presented a petition from a number of
the citizens of Maui, setting forth the immense
advantages that would result by bringing the
water of the mountain streams down upon the
lands in question, and asking that Government
cause a preliminary survey with a view to under
taking the work. The subject was referred to
the Minister of the Interior, who Teported-on
the opinion of one who had no personal knowl-
edge of the locality-that the engineering diff
culties in the way were very great, (Which is not
really the fact) and that the cost would be at
least $500 900. This report 70 discouraged the
not over-zealous friends of the measure that
further consideration was dropped. But allow
ing that the necessary works will cost 500, 900, !
Of which there is no proof, and the reasonable