The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-07
GOV, DOLE ON
ISLAND MAT TIERS
HIS REPORT CONTAINS MECH
VERY INTERESTING MATTER ON
A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS.


cusses many matters of interest, among
which are the following.
The automatic tide gauge in Homo
lulu Harbor is under the charge of this
office, and is in continuous service,
this being one of the important sta
lions of the world Duplicates of the
records have been sent to Washington,
up to April of this year, to the tidal
division of the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey. The apparatus has
been thoroughly overhauled of late and
! is in good order, but needs new shell
ter house. Seismic waves are special
object of record, and very interesting
series has lately occurred. The mean
sea level is also an especial matter OF
study and has shown some remarkable
variations in the last twelve months.
The rising and falling of the water IN
our artesian-well subterranean reser-
voir is also noted.
Sisal.-Through the agency of the
Territorial bureau of agriculture and
forestry the cultivation of sisal, Agave
ssalana, a fibre plant, was taken up
several years ago, and at the present
time IneIe Is Olle plduldllOn Will otNT
eral hundred acres of sisal under Gull
tivation on the Island of Oahu, anoth-
err of considerable area has just been
started on the Island of Molokai, and a
third is about to be begun on the ISL
and of Kauai The Oahu plantation is
nearly ready to take off it's first crop
and is putting up its machinery.
AS the ssal plant will thrive in rocky
and comparatively barren soils, it's sue
cessful cultivation will be of impor-
lance in utilizing such lands as well
as in adding to the products of the
Territory and furnishing a new demand
for labor.
1t is to be hoped that success in the
production of fiber suitable for cordage
will promptly lead up to the establish
ment of local factories for it's manu-
facture.
Castor oil CRicinus communis).-Th
plant has grown wild for many years
in different parts of the islands with
great luxuriance 1t is a perennial in
this climate.
The plants are set 4 feet apart and
are cultivated by hoeing and horse
blowing.
Vanilla.-EXperimen have been
made from time to time in the culti-
walton of the vanilla bean and it's pre-
paration for the market with little 9TH
er result than the demonstration of the
suitability of our soil and climate for
it's production. During the past year
small plantation has been started in
South Kona Island of Hawaii, for it's
cultivation.
Tobacco.-Although tobacco has been
cultivated in these islands for many
years in a desultOry way the product
has never been properly cured and the
question of the suitability of soil and
climate for the production of fine
grades is still unsettled. The fact, how
ever, that tobacco grows wild in many
parts of the group would seem to be
encouraging
DR.. Smith in charge of the Hawaii
experiment station, reports that he is
planning to experiment with Sumatra
tobacco at the station.
| The business of raising and canning
Ipineappes is a growing one and prom
Uses considerable development. In it's
several varieties the pineapple has a
wide range of soil and elevation. At
present there is but one cannery,
which has put up the past year
5000 cases, which have been sent to
the mainland.
l have not been able to obtain a re-
port from the Hawaiian Tramways
Company, Limited, of their years
work. The governors report of 1900 is
approximately applicable to this COM
pany for the past year except as to its
income, which has probably fallen off
somewhat, owing to the competition of
the Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land
Company.
The latter company began operations
on the 51st day of August, 1901, with a
track mileage of "A miles and con-
structed and put into operation within
"a year 7.3l additional miles, making a
total of HI miles. An extension to
Waikiki, a populous suburb on the
seashore, is under construction. Since
this company began carrying passen-
gers no interruption through any de-
feet in the steam or electrical equip
ment has occurred.
The following table furnished by Mr..
Ballentyne, the manager of the COM
pany, gives the monthly results for
the first years operations:
Average operating expenses to earn
ings, 5S1 per cent
Average expense of carrying passen-
gers per head, 2.S cents.
| The net earnings for ~ months have
/ been $65,452,S7
t The policy of segregation of lepers
was adopted by the enactment of spe-
cial statutes with this object in view
in 1865. The leper settlement on the
Island Of Molokai was established in
the year 1866, during which year 141
! patients were sent there.
The policy of segregation was loose
> 4 ly carried out for a number of years
. after the patients admitted averaged
ia per annum, and the largest number
admitted in any one year was 1873. In
= 1873 a stricter enforcement of the law
was carried out, and 4S7 patients were
sent to the settlement Thereafter
! until 1897 tho Ia NJ of it,. -.