The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1876-12-13

age, the reasons for which we leave to the che
msts TO decide. This large tract is owned by
private parties and by the Crown Estate,
| there being probably from six to ten thousand
acres belonging to the latter. Efforts are now
being made by private parties interested in
some of these fertile lands to obtain from the
Government the privilege of charging and
extending the ditch now in the process of
construction by the Haiku Sugar Company
and others, so that it will furnish water sufi-
cient to irrigate several thousand acres per
annum, instead of the one or two thousand
acres for which it is now adapted.
A question of grave Importance is here pre-
scented for the consideration of the Govern
ment, as to whether in a case like this it is
expedient to vest so valuable franchise in
private company or corporation, where it may
become an oppressive monopoly, or to retain
it in its own hands, and farm ont the water
by the year to all who may desire it. The
data necessary for an intelligent decision is
not to be had at present, and can only be OBJ
tanned in a comprehensive and impartial man
ner through the instrumentality of the Com
mission whose report, we doubt not, the
Government will await before coming to any
conclusion.
We believe there is a most admirable oppor-
tunity presented here of testing the policy of
sugar culture by small farmers. Let the
whole extent of the above mentioned tract of
Crown land be divided up into farms of, say,
one hundred acres each, which shall be leased
for thirty years to men who will engage to
cultivate them. These farmers will, of course,
require water, and can well afford to pay five
or ten dollars, or even more for it, per acre.
In this way community of intelligence and
thrift would be built up which would be of
inestinable value to the country. There
would be no difficulty in leasing a thousand
of such farms, for let it only be known in the
States or Europe that there were such grand
opportunities waiting for the first corners, and
there would be ten times as many applica-
tons as could be granted in that region. And
why not2 An Industrious man with family
Of boys, or with the assistance of two or three
hired men, and half dozen mules, could
easily plant and cultivate twenty acres of
cane year, which would net him, after pay
ing the expenses of manufacture, $4,000 or
$4,000 per annum. Probably $4,000 year
would cover all other expenses, thus leaving
a margin for clear profit, which we may safely |
assert is obtainable nowhere else in the world |
from farming operations of equal scope
But very few have any adequate idea of the |
amount Of water which is furnished by the |
windward slope of Haleakala From Maka- |
wac to Hama, distance of some forty miles, |
there is a dense-almost impenetrable-for |
several miles in width. in which originates a |
large number of never-failing streams. 1t is
proposed by the company now engaged in
ditching to tap six of these streams nearest to |
Haiku. But further on in Koolau there are
many more, some of which are of much larger
size than any of the six alluded to, so that
there is no doubt in the minds Of those most
to judge, that by ditch of about
forty miles in length sufficient water can be
obtained in the dryest seasons for irrigating
at least ten Thousand acres of land. The
greater portion of this country belongs to the
Government, aud it is very sparsely settled.
There are, therefore, but very few water
rights which might possibly be interfered
with by diversion of the water.
Let US acquaint ourselves with the capabili-
ties of the whole country of its arabic lands,
of the average capacities of its numberless
streams, of which of each can be utilized by
union. We want to marry the waste waters
Of the country to its barren plains that there
may be increase-that they may bring forth
wealth. Letus have investigation, and let us
have full, minute, and accurate reports of the
latent resources of every district in the King
ION. Not till this is done can we have the
ace to ask immigrants to came here with a
new of making their homes among us.