Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-12-11
K0HALA WATER LICENSE

Governor Carter has withdrawn the
Kohala Water License sale for further
investigation which is very good
more the question is investigated the
clearer it will be shown that the less
restrictions the Government puts on
this proposition, the better for the
public and the Government as we'll
The proposition to take water from
the Waipio District to Kohala has been
worked on by Samuel Parker and hi.
assistance for number of years at
great expense resulting in this, that
that Mr.. Parker has secured options
or leases upon all of the water owned
by private individuals available for
this proposition, the chief of these
owners being the Bishop Estate. The
amount of water that the Government
owns, which can be used in this en-
terprise, is very small percentage Of
the whole. The Kohala District,
understand, contains about four thou
sand acres below the 1000 foot 'eleya-
ton Of land actually planted in cane
with about three thousand acres more
of first class sugar land, which is
not planted, and cannot be planted
goes through the sugar output of Ko-
hala will be about double and the out
put each year become assured, where
as, now some years they have crop
and some not owing to the uncertainty
Of the rains upon which they now de-
pend In an average good season the
Kohala planters now get about three
tons of sugar per acre, with an as
sured water supply this yield will be
materially increased.
Governor Carter suggests that the
Government put this enterprise
through and own II instead of a pri-
vate corporation. In the first place
II will cost probably a half a million
dollars to acquire the water rights
now concentrated in Sam Parkers
hands, and these rights would prob
ably have TO be condemned. Parker
and his associates have not worked
all these years to surrender the fruits
of their labor to the Government for
any trine. Condemnation would mean
q long delay before any start could be
made. The cost of putting the ditch
through from Waipio Is estimated at
one million nine hundred and seventy
six thousand dollars, calling for "a
miles of rock tunnels and miles of
ditch and nume. II Waipio and Wal
manu- are left out leaving out the
Bishop Estate water. the proposition
will even cost one million one hundred
and ninety-siX thousand dollars eX-
elusive of what 1t would cost to con-
denim and acquire the water rights
now in Sam Parker's hands. When
we look back and think of the vetoine
o: the Pauoa water bill. public ne
cessity, as voted for by nearly all
the legislators, and asked for by every
doctor in town, which involved the
comparatively small sum of Sl50.OO0
and Governor Doles reason for so do
ing was the shortage of funds, do
not see how the Government could
shoulder proposition so large as the
kohala Ditch Co. a. '.a.
1t is estimated that It would take
four years TO complete the work call
ing for miles of tunnelling per an
mum. Considering the fact that on
Governor Carter's own statement the
Territory is hardly able to pay its
running expenses and Is already bur-
dening itself with a heavy loan for
other propositions, does II not seem
practicable or right that this PROPOSE
ton should wait for the Government
10 take hold of II. On the other hand
II private enterprise carries this prop
osition through, the Government not
only gets fixed rental and direct
profits out OF It outside OF the per-
centage rent, but 1t will receive prob
ably fifteen to twenty thousand dol
lars a year in taxes on the property
Of the Ditch Company alone. Whereas,
these same water rights bring the Gov
eminent in hardly anything now. Fur
thermore II would probably double the
taxable value of all the sugar lands
in the Kohala District. The long delay
in getting this proposition through is
a discouraging object lesson for future
enterprises. Few men with capital
would care to go through the abuse,
delay and expense Parker and his as
sociates have incurred in this enter
prise and now at the last minute the
whole thing II seems is to be indefinite
ly postponed once more. DO other
States and Territories act towards
capital in this way? This is not in
tended as a reflection upon Governor
Carriers integrity in this matter, 1t is
simply general comment upon the
whole history of this effort to pro-
mote the interest of the Kohala Dis
trict and to bring in large influx
OF capital into the Territory. 1t does
seem as II somewhere or somehow the
Government is to blame in this delay.
Private owners have long ago fallen
into line and made their arrangements
with Mr., Parker. II is the Government