The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1876-09-13
Eores1 Projection.

A bill has passed the Assembly which at
first sight may be thought to be a step in the
direction of forest preservation and increase ;
"a measure for want of which the Islands
have been suffering for many years, and will,
we fear, continue to suffer as long as the pres
ent indifference on this subject continues.
But a moments examination of the above
mentioned bill will be sufficient to disclose the
fact that it is almost wholly worthless for any
purposes of real utility. As it applies only to
government lands it will-of ec-ssity be so
limited in its operation rs to utterly fail OF its
intended objects, for the amount of govern
meut land on the group at the present time is
very small.
What is wanted here is a system of forest
culture and conservation similar to those which
various European nations have found them
selves forced to adopt or forfeit their national
existence. We must adopt system whose
cornerstone Is the axiom, The greatest good
TO the greatest number" If history, and ex-
perience, and science have thoroughly demon
strated any one thing in the world of material
things, it is that forests are rs necessary to the
life Of land as lungs are to the life of the ami
NAL, When land is shown of its forests, its
green fields become barren wastes, its rivers
become dry in summer and raging, destructive
torrents in winter. Its inhabitants diminish
in numbers, and it finally becomes a desert, fit
only for the abode Of owls and bats.
This dismal condjtiouis undoubtedly in store
for us unless we avert it by prompt and ener-
getic action. And no half way measures will
suffice, If we would make sure of success we
must boldly inaugurate a system which will in
all probability meet with strong opposition
from real-estate owners "a system which
may be regarded by the few as violation of
personal rights, but which nevertheless must
be enforced in the interests of the many. There
should be q Forester-in-chiefap appointed for the
whole country, whose business it shall be to
supervise and direct the operations of the Blu
reau. In each district there should be a For
ester who duty it shall be to take charge of all
forest lands in the district, see that fences are
kept up, set out young trees to take the place
of those that are cut down, keep ont all ami
mails, and enforce all regulations emanating
from the Bureau Of Forests. Every man own
ing ten acres or more of land should be com
PEELED to devote one half of his land to the cul-
hvation of trees, and all forests now existing
should be maintained in vigorous health and
growth, and their limits gradually increased
year by year.
To carry out this plan would of course re
quire degree Of strength in the government,
which, under the present form no one can ex-
pcct When that happy day arrives when the
best talent in the country shall be called to the
front and the government shall be regarded as
an agency for promoting the interests of the
country, and not merely an institution for
providing support for an unnecessarily large
number of employees, then may we expect to
see this and many other needed reforms insti-
utcd.
Since the above was written, we notice an
article on the same subject in the Advertiser,
for the pen of Mr.. Gibson, which presents
some new ideas on this subject, worthy of ICON
sideration.