The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-11-18

Mr.. EDITOR :-FInis is in general the last word
at the close Of a book. | make il the first In this
article which is intended to be the fnis Of more than
six years thought and interest on and in the water
supply for Honolulu, and Of the numerous articles
of which the readers Of the ADVERTISER must have
become as much tired as the cranky or not cranky
brain (Which has to be SEEM that indited them.
While / and every one else comedies with you ia
your sentence in last weeks ADVERTISER. ga speedy
Increase of the water supply is therefore what the
city needs most Of al, - | must beg to differ from the
conclusion Of the same sentence, "and this cannot
be attained by replanting the forest, but by the con-
struction of new water works"
1 would gladly congratulate the people Of Homo
lulu upon :" a reservoir Of water containing say five
million gallons Of rain water, "at an expense Of
$4,000, completed in six months and should feel
sorry to see the $15,0 900 reservoir six months after
completion contain only the empty bags that once
held the $1,000 hard dollars. hope il may contain
the water, but am rather inclined TO think that il
will contain only the bags.
You say further the question therefore before
Ministers is this, shall the public money be used in
the experiment Of replanting the forest Of Nuuanu
with q possible result in from ten to twenty years, or
shall it be expended in the construction Of new wa
ter works, that within n years time will place Homo
lulu beyond the fear Of destruction by fire, To our
mind, every consideration Of sound policy demands
the adoption Of the latter PLAN
-. As the columns Of the ADVERTISER during the last
six years have contained many articles from me
upon the theory Of water supply, l beg space Tor this
fms TO be also placed on record in your valuable
paper for future reference to the sanity or insanity
Of the theory, ahdI wish to say that the experiment
of replanting the forest Of Nuuanu may be 80 COM
menced, and perhaps at small cost, that six months
after planting for only two months with energy and
diligence Honolulu might at least be safe from want
Of water This style Of planting lie Of course differ
ent from what / advocated six years ago, and has no
reference to ornament, etc, but only and alone to
usefulness and early supply Of water; but freeing
the city Of Honolulu by planting from danger Of fire
IN o;v vnnnShss 4froa 20 ocr nam1oH dsHoraRN (,nn e.
possible result in from ten TO twenty years, - and
should think preferable to the certainty Of empty
reservoirs, and drinking well water in less than a
year. The head Of the valley, from where the wind
comes through the funnel to the place where the land
rises, perhaps three-quarters ola mile long, is the
natural reservoir Of the Nuuanu stream. With The
exception Of a few hau trees, that form an avenue
for the road, constructed through the former i'm
passable swamp, the land is bare Of trees. To ELL
this place from side to side of the valley with trees,
broad-leayed trees, that will shade tie ground, let
the rain down easy and what is more yet, change The
atmosphere, is saving Honolulu from want Of water.
Drive out the cattle, make from seventy TO one hum
bred thousand holes two feet wide by two feet deep,
and plant slips Of the fast growing mulberry five feet
apart each way, between to-day and New Years,
and / assure you that in less than six month"; the
stream that crosses the road next to the pail will
contain again water enough for all purposes. Cost?
you ask. This is a public necessity. Let the Min
listers invite four or five hundred sound male inhab-
itants Of Honolulu to dig each a certain number Of
nj notes.-the valley IN say ten DAYS, ana give them a
81 900 feast and the cost will be little. The planting
can be done by some japanese or Chinese at little cost,
and before a month the most necessary safeguard is
provided, although Of course / have not the least
idea that such a thing as action and activity ever
will happen. One more remark and I am done.
You say the cost TO government would be S27 900 If
planting was undertaken, for purchase Of lease, in
terest, ETC., etc. | consider that those S27 900
ought not be charged to expenses for water supply,
but only and alone to purchase money for a nsw hen.
III. HoLsTEIN.