Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-14

of the Islands for several weeks past,
gave an interesting address in the Y.
NJ. c. A. hall last evening on the ques-
ton of forest preservation and water
conservation in the group. Among
those present were the following:
Governor Dole, Commissioner of Agri-
culture Wray Taylor, Representative
Dickey Of Maui, Mr.. and Mrs. J. r.
Gait, Mr.. and Mrs. J. b. Atherton, AL
Ian Herbert. Mr.. and Mrs. +. J. Low
rey. Mr.. and Mrs. J. p. Cooke, II. NJ.
Won Holt, Mr. and Mrs. r. Give Davies.
F. NJ. Swanzy and large number Of
others. The Kamehameha chorus gave
several Hawaiian airs.
Forestration.
The speaker having been introduced
by Wray Taylor. said that forestration
meant cutting timber on conserva-
tive basis and allowing the young tim
Der an opportunity to grow. In Hawaii
| species of wood except the koa. In
one sense It could not be called mer-
charitable. as the entire question was
| to increase the timber growth as a
means of conserving the water sup
ply. Increasing the timber meant as
sistance in the development of the cat
tie and grazing industries.
Forest Preserves.
The speaker told Of conditions in
the western part of the United States
! Ia, u,,N
the headwaters. people believing the
supply to be unlimited. The people
| have now demanded that the water
supplies be protected and the govern
ment is holding 5O.OOO,OOO acres as for
est preserves in the central and west
| timber and water were once plenti-
full. the water supply has almost been
cut off owing to the denudation OF the
timber lands.
Cripple Creek, Col, has now n rapid
ly diminishing water supply and wood
is being imported where once the
mountains surrounding the camp were
covered with fine growth of pine. AT
this point. President Roosevelt's COM
ments on the value Of forests, in which
he said their preservation was a neCes.
sity. were read.
What Hawaii Forests Need.
President Roosevelt does not be-
/ lieve that private water companies
have the right to control the water
power, said Mr.. Griffith. IF you have
the water on your land you can hold
man up for what you please when
he is trying to buy the land from you,
The right to the water should always
go with the land. | have been de-
lighted with the interest the planters
and everybody here takes in the for
ests, but in few points they are
wrong. Much money Is being spent by
the sugar planters and stock growers
In planting trees, and at the SAINT
time they are running the cattle bacl
in their forests, which Is especially
dangerous to the headwaters. II II
easier to conserve what forests you al
ready have than to plant new ones.
was inclined to think that much of the
damage might have been caused by in
sects, but in the virgin woods | have
not seen any insects except where the
tree dies from old age. Some cattle
men have said to me that the cattle dc
not eat the trees but have told them
that they eat the ferns, and by doing
so they open up the forest and the in
sects then attack the trees.
ION Muai, where the big ditch Is
you will find on the mauka side the
forest is a jungle whereas below 1t is
clear and perfectly open. The under
growth disappears and the heavy Hilc
grass comes in and no seeds can then
reach through and terminate. There
are some pretty park-like places, but
these do not conserve the water as
the ground dries up.
Water Is Wasted.
Take the Islands as a whole, and
there are few localities where there are
natural reservoir sites, and the water
is wasted. | think the planters are al