The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-08
THE KOHALA WATER BILL.

The Advertiser does not know on
what lines the Republican Central
Committee opposes the bill now pend
ing before Congress granting certain
water rights to Samuel Parker's cor
poration; but there are certain features
about the bill which cannot but be con-
demned by every impartial person.
OF the value and necessity of utiliz-
ing this and other surplus water there
can be no question. A large amount
of water is running to waste, which, if
diverted to the adjacent dry districts
will greatly increase the productivity of
the soil, and create wealth which does
not now exist. There is no difference
OF opinion upon this point. But there is
radical objection to the way in which
it is proposed to be done. Some of the
objections are as follows:
This is a purely local-natter, and
should therefore be subject to local
control.
Congress has already turned over to
the local authorities the full control
and disposition Of all government lands
except certain specified reservations for
the direct use of the Federal govern
ment. Leases or sales of government
lands carry as incidental to the land
the water and other appurtenances be-
lease or dispose Of lands, the local gov
ernnent has, therefore, full power to
dispose of water which is on the land
conveyed. But the technical point
has been raised that there is no spe
cific power authorizing the local gov
eminent to dispose of water alone,
separate from the land on which it is
located.
Under these circumstances the logic
a; and proper thing to do is for Con-
gress to pass an act comforting upon
the local authorities whatever power is
necessary to grant rights to use pub
lie waters, so as to bring into beneficial
use not only the Kohala water. but 9TH
er waste waters elsewhere available.
The power can be hedged about
by all proper restrictions. as is now the
case with the land law; but in all feir-
ness to the public welfare and to local
interests, the disposition of local gov
eminent waters should be in the hands
OF local authorities, who know the local
conditions and the rights of the mat
ter, instead of being the subject of pri- |
yate grant by Congress, who can know
of the matter only at second hand
2.-The bill does not correctly state |
on it's face what it means. Its title !
and it's text speak of nothing but !
rights of way" for bitches and reser- 1
voirs. The fair inference to be drawn
from the wording of the bill is that the |
has water of it's own, and /
simply seeks a right of way across in /
government land. AS a mat
ter OF fact, practically all of the water
to be obtained and transported through !
such rights OF way is the property of !
the government. In other words, the .
bill says right of way" but it means
water"
This reminds one of the tramp with a
magic soup stone." which, upon being
boiled In pure water, would produce a
rich broth. He demonstrated the claim
TO the farmers WIFE. after borrowing
from her, just to flavor the soup. a |
little meat, potato, onion, salt and pep
per.
3.-The bill proposes 20 grant the
rights OF way. and incidentally the wa
ter, Tor nothing. Both Mr.. Parker and
the so-called Gehr Company have Of
fered the local government a rental of
$1,000 Ter annun. for this same water.
with the statement that, after the wa
ter Is being delivered through the ditch
they Will pay into the Territorial treas
ury hVe per cent of the gross receipts
per annum, with a guarantee that the
same shall amount to not less than
$500 per annum
Why should this public property and
franchise be given away. when parties
stand ready to pay handsomely for il?
4-The bill makes direct private
grant of the property involved to a
specific corporation. instead of putting
II up for competition to the highest
bidder Another corporation is seeking
TINS same water, and is ready to pay
.or IT. Why should they not be given
an opportunity to get it? Why should
one corporation be favored more than
the ether?
It is claimed that the other company
consists only of spectators. without
capital to carry out the work
An absolute reply to this is that all