Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-18
PAUOA WATER SCHEME
DETAIL OF FACTS In
MUCH Dl! CUSSED AFFAIR
QUESTION OF TAXES is MADE
CLEAR TARO LAND
VALUES - WATER
RIGHTS.


MI. I. W. BOoth reels mucn aggrleN-
ed over the utterances in the press and
from the platform, during the last cam
paign, about what is known as the
"Pauoa Water Scheme" A thorough
Investigation of matter will satisfy any
tairminded person that Mr.. Booth has
sustained an injustice, and this oppor-
tunity is taken of righting the matter
as far as is possible by statement of
facts. The facts concerning the propo-
sition to sell the water from the Pauoa
springs to the Governmen, are as fol-
lows:
The owners of the water flowing
from these springs. are about forty
Hawaiians the Bishop Estate, and Mr..
Booth. All these owners were willing
the Government should take their por-
ton which irrigates their taro land.
and dispose of the same to the Govern
ment for the sum of s25O.OOO which
would have to be paid in proportion to
the interest of the respective owners
ard the Government which owns a
large norton Of the water. The springs
are about 900 feet above sea level and
their ACQUISITION by the Government
would do away with pumping, engi-
neers, and coal etc. The water us
shown by analysis is uneuualled any
where in Honolulu. and about az pure
as distilled water.
A bill was passed by the House Of
Representatives appropriating the sum
Of $3.50. 900 Tor the purchase of the
same. In the Senate the bill was sent
to a committee OF five. with Hon. Paul
Isenberg as chairman. and Hon. Cecil
Brown. Dickey. ]. Brown and Kaiue,
where the amount was reduced to $780,
900. The Bulletin is informed that
senator Dickey drafted the new bill,
which was acuuiesced in by Senators
| Baldwin, Crabbe and others. This bill
passed the Senate and House. but was
vetoed by the Governor, this was con-
sidered a Republican bill. The first
mile of taro land in Pauoa belongs to
| Mr.. Booth, then comes the land OF the
| Blshop Estate. and the kuleanas owned
by the Hawaiians. Mr.. Booth receives
an annual income of over 81, 900 from
his land. Had the Government taken
this water his income from these lands
would have been practically cut on
also the rents of the Bishop Estate.
and the forty Hawaiians, whose lands
are irrigated from this water.
II is quite true that If the Govern.
ment had acquired the whole OF this
water. the present owners would have
had their land still, and IL is claimed
that they could have turned them into
house lots. but when the hundreds OF
ihouse lots for sale in a more desirable
location all over the city are taken in
to consideration, there would be little
or no demand for these for many years
tC come so not much could be expect ed
&c be realized from this source. Had
the Government purchased this water
for $50 900 this, amount would have
lbeen reduced by the Government S
share of the same being deducted. and
the rest would have been divided up
among the forty Hawaiians, Bishop
Estate and Mr.. Booth, and the res
pective amounts put out at interest
would not have brought as much as
their present rentals.
The Tax Assessor has assessed Mr.
Booth $1OO,O for the water in Pauoa
and Mr.. Booth is now falsely accused
OF saying that this water is only worth
10000 This most extraordinary as
sessment Mr.. Booth justly resents. Nc
assessment like 1t has ever been made
in this country. Mr.. Booth already
pays taxes on the same water II
looking at Mr.. Booths tax returns al
down the list, taro land, and in proper
ton to other lands these are returned
high on account of their water priv
IlpRp In Inc mimi of any man u