The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-09-03
THE NEED OF
LEGISLATION

yesterday. 1t deals almost entirely
with his Investigations into the forest
fires in the district of Hamakua, Ha-
wall, and is published in full as fol-
lows
Honolulu, II. T., Aug. "a, 1901.
wray Taylor, Esq, Commissioner OF AZ
rculture and Forestry.
Sir:-I have the honor to submit to you
the following report OF my Investigations
into the destruction OF the forest by fire
and other matters connected with your
department in the district of Hamakua.
Hawaii. The fire, which is now raging
in the forest and doing an enormous
amount of damage was started by ma
tive who, in the act of burning brush
on his kuleana, allowed the fire to
spread into the forest adjoining his land.
This fire, / am told, started on the 3rd
of July, and has continued with more or
less vigor according to the rise and fall
of the wind, since that time; and on the
day I left the island aug. Z0 II was
burning fercely. On August 18th 1 Wis
tied the burned district along with Al
bert Horner of Kukaiau plantation. We
examined part OF the tract destroyed,
but could not, at that time. make a thor
ough examination of the whole tract ow-
ing to the dangerous condition of same.
The large roots of trees and decayed
trunks, some of them entirely covered
with a thin layer of soil and still smoul-
dering, are to be found all over the tract
and without any warning, one IL apt to
step into one of those pits left vacant
by the burning of the wood and get
badly burned by the red hot ashes. Sew
eral of Mr.. Horner's men have got burn
ed in this way. I will now lay before
you a conservative estimate of the dam
age done to the forest up to the time Of
our visit.
The trees on the section destroyed were
principa koa kuku ohia-ha and ohia-
lehua.
Owing to the great amount of dead
ferns and underbrush which Is the food
of fires and the intense heat caused by
the burning of such, a very small per-
centage of the trees will survive, the
greater part of them are, in fact, burned
to ashes. We estimated that about 1900
acres had been covered by the fire up to
August nth, the day on which we visit
ed the burned district. Our estimate of
the amount of timber per acre was
about seventy cords This fire could
probably be headed of, but il would re-
auire a great many men and il would
cost a large sum of money to do the
work. The only way the fire could be
checked would be to cut space through
the forest about fifty yards broad, and
carefully burn UP all brush and then
back fire. This space would probably
have to be run through the forest for
five or six miles, and continual watch
ing would have to be done in case Of
sparks flying over and starting again on
the other side. The fire has got a big
hold and 1t will require great energy and
large number of men to stamp Il out.
The section of forest destroyed includes
private lands and leased government
lands.
On the morning of August 10Th, Albert
Horner telephoned to me at Kukuihaele
where 1 was then staying, and informed
me that the fire was approaching fifty
acres of government forest land and the
kanehe and Paauilo homesteads, and
asked II the government could not assist
in trying to head off the fire. told Mr..
Horner that I did not think there was
any appropriation to draw from for such
work, but I would communicate with
Governor Dole in regard to the matter.
The Governor had left the Volcano
House that morning, and was on his
way to Hio. The following morning l
communicated with the Governor who
was then In Hilo. In reply, the Governor
said that the plantation managers would
have to try and put the fire out them
selves, and rely on the government to do
the-rlght thing by them. I informed
wi i'ol at ofltt VI tnt = re-
ply Since then and up to the time I
left the island, Mr.. Horner and Mr. Lyd-
gate have had gangs OF men night and
day trying to fight the fire, and on the
evening I left I was informed that Mr..
Horner had all his plantation hands at
work trying to check it,
In an interview with j. NJ. Horner this
gentleman complained about the indis-
criminate burning of brush by settlers
and nv their caralnSSnaSS nr
allowing the fire to spread into the for
est or their neighbours property and raw
age large tracts of land, thereby de-
stroying much valuable property
Legislation is undoubtedly greatly need
ed in the dry districts of different parts
of the Islands to abate the evils caused
by these brush fires. It would not he
advisable to prohibit all fires on lands
but without delay an end should be put
to the system whereby any person can
at any time, without impunity. set fire
to dry grass and brush, and so produce
a conflagration that may and often does
cause great injury and loss to his neigh
bors' property; and that certainly retards
the prosperity OF the country. Although
bush fires need not altogether be prohib-
tied, they should not be allowed to be set
in very dry seasons as they are then ex-
ceedingly dangerous, and at other times
they should be regulated so that the evils
that have brought to your notice may
be mitigated II not entirely abolished.
The Kukaiau plantation has suffered
severely from this fire. in addition to the
burning OF forest Immediately mauka Of
the lands The plantation has lost about
200 acres Of cane. and Mr.. Horner inform
ed me that II had cost the plantation
over 5000 for labor alone In trying to
subdue the fires up to August 18th
AS regards the replanting of the burned
district should the Governor decide to
retain tine government portion OF il as a
forest reservation, the first thing would
be the erecting of fence around the re-
serve so that stray animals may not
trample down and destroy the roots.
shoots and seedlings that may spring up.
I would advise that visit be made again
to the district In about seven or eight
months, and should rains come before
that time. I have no doubt that here and
there on the tract roots, shoots and