The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-22
WATER,

Inc lIIlB8uon OF our Janus, ana the
storing and saving of our water are
problems which we have to consider
very carefully. AS the law of the Unit
ed States stands now 1t does not allow
the sale of a privilege of water, with
out the sale of the whole land to which
that water belongs. This is what caus-
ed the Department of Interior to inter-
fere in the Kohala water privilege
scheme. The United States govern
ment did not consider the persons who
were attempting to get that scheme
through, it merely considered the legal
aspect in its broad lines. The opposi-
tion to the Kohala scheme from this
end was that the persons applying
would not, or could not show where the
backing was to carry the scheme
through, and thus caused many people,
justly, to consider that it was an effort
to obtain a franchise, which, as Mr..
Swanzy pointed out, might be hawked
round in money markets to the highest
bidder. That is matter of the past,
however.
The United States law does not fair
ly cover our conditions and the Interior
Department and the Agricultural De-
partment are now we'll aware of the
fact. 1t is the intention of the secre-
taries to send out men to examine into
the question so that report can be
made to the present Congress with the
object of modifying the United States
law as far as the Territory is concern
ed. A thoroughly competent hydraulic
engineer is either now on his way, or
will be shortly, who will look into our
water supplies most thoroughly, and re-
port upon them, while an expert fores-
ter from Secretary Wilson will follow,
as soon as the right man can be found
While some of our lands are dry and
arid, in other portions of the Islands,
water goes to waste by the million
gallons a day. The immense areas of
cane growing lands at Spreckelsville
and Haiku are fortified by water
brought from distant points. When
those plantations were established it
was in the power of the government to
grant such water privileges, and they
have shown the utility of these priv
ileges. Were it not for the water
which comes from the Koolau district
of Maui, and from the ample supplies
at Waihee the lower slopes of Halea
kala would be as barren as they were
a quarter of a century ago. What is
now glowing with the emerald of cane,
was then but a dusty mountain side,
with a few scanty weeds striving fer
a precarious existence.
We have by no means exhausted our
water supplies There is the Kohala
water shed, about which mention has
already been made. That water ought
to be utilized the only point being
whether it should be utilized to benefit
the pockets of private. parties or
whether it would not be more advan-
tageous to benefit the pockets of the
Territory.
There is also a very large shed lying
between Keanae and Nahiku on Maui.
There are probably six streams thun-
dering down deep ravines and pouring
untold gallons of water into the sea.
This water could be amply and most
advantageously used at spots of fer
tile land many miles distant. At the
present that water is going absolutely
to waste. There is another broken
area, above Keanae and Honomanu,
Maui, of similar character, and the
water roars down in useless though
picturesque cataracts. For both of
these watersheds application has been
made, but until the Washington Gov
eminent chooses to act, the water must
continue to flow to the sea.
In the northern part, of Kauai there
is an enormous body of water that goes
TO waste. Between Hanalei and Ha-
ena there are three considerable rivers,
not mere mountain streams like we
have on this island, but sizable rivers
which at the best of times it is difficult
to ford. The principal of these is the
Wainiha, and several lives have been
lost in crossing it's treacherous and
shifting bed. All this water pours into
the sea, doing no good save to a few
scattered taro patches. There has
never been any practical suggestion of
utilizing this water, but it could be
utilized to great advantage,
Wherever water exists in such guam
titles it means two things, power and
fertility, and it does not mean power
and fertility upon the mere spot where
it may be, but both power and fertili-
ty can be carried miles away. The
arrival of a thoroughly experienced
hydraulic engineer who will examine
our local water supplies, and who will
be able to give thoroughly unbiased
advice will be of immense value to the
Territory. These are stored riches
which are the inheritance of all. What
we want to know is how to develop
them best, and further we want Federal
legislation to enable us to do some
thing better than sell them outright
TO the highest bidder.