The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-16

U pei NCilI-
No franchises have been granted
during the year for construction of rail-
roads; but it was found necessary TO can
eel an agreement entered into with the
KohaIa- HiIo Railroad Company on ac-
count of its failure to comply with the
conditions stipulated when the work
should be started.
Provision was made by the Legisla-
ture of this year for the care and
preservation of the archives of Hawaii.
Among them are original papers of the
early Hawaiian chiefs, correspondence
relating to the diplomatic complica-
tons with France and England, docu-
ments concerning the recognition of the
Kingdom of Hawaii by the United
States, England. and France, and other
papers relating to treaties with foreign
powers, the treaties themselves, besides
original papers relating to the Govern
ment.
Shortly after annexation the Govern
ment dispatched a representative 20
Hawaii to look up these documents
with a view to having them transferred
to Washington; it was determined,
however, to leave them in the Territory,
on assurance that every effort would
be made to secure a freproof hall for
their preservation, particularly as it
was claimed that their relation to land
titles was too important to allow them
to leave the islands.
A substantial fireproof building is
now under construction in which these
documents can be properly cared for
and preserved for future generations
The Legislature has also provided for
a Board of Commissioners Of Archives,
| besides making a small provision for
carrying out the details of the work;
although the commission has only been
in existence a few months, a saving OF
not less than $1,000 to the Government
will be effected through the discovery
of documents that establish the Gov
ernment's claim to certain lands in a
case shortly to come before the courts.
During the past year the energies of
the division of forestry have been large
" directed toward the creation of for
est reserves on the several islands.
Much work of a preliminary nature has
been done in the way of examining
lands and preparing reports, which, in
the coming months will lead to action
of far-reaching Importance. Two tracts
of forest land on the islands of Oahu
and Hawaii, comprising respectively 913
~ONiA
as forest reserves by Executive procla-
nation. Pending on June 80, and pro-
claimed a reserve by Acting Governor
A tkfnson on July "a, 1905, was the mat
| ter of the reservation of a tract of
10 900 acres in the district of Hilo, is
land of Hawaii. Other large projects
on Maui and Kauai, embracing re-
spectively 43 900 and 1880 acres of for
| est land are so we'll under way that
| final action will be taken On them
| during July or August.
In creating forest reserves it is the
custom to select a definite area believ-
| ed to be to the best interest of the
Territory to maintain under forest COW
| er. In declaring this area reserve
| there is set apart as compartments
| thereof the Government lands within
| its bounda rieS not then under lease or
| on which the existing leases have less
: than two years to run. The indivldu-
ais or corporations owning or leasing
| land within the reserve are then re-
| quested to cooperate with the Govern
ment under the law in carrying out the
| objects for which the reserve is Gre
ated. This they are usually willing to
do, as the establishment of the reserve
is almost directly to their advantage
! in that they reap the most direct and
immediate benefits from the water af-
forded by the forest cover.
Quarters have been provided for the
Hawaiian weather bureau of the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture,
the necessary instrument platforms
have been constructed. and complete
equipment of meteorological instru-
ments of standard pattern has been in
! stalled. The data obtained by eye OBJ
servation and from the self-recording
Instruments have been tabulated and
presented to the general public in
the shape of daily and monthly reports
appearing in the newspapers, the pub
locations of the local station, and the
publications of the central office IN
Washington, D. G. The records have
also at all times been available in the
Honolulu office for consultation by IN
terested parties. During the past ten
months Honolulu weather data has
been supplied by mail to many appli-
cants in the United States and else
where.
Commercial statistics of the Terri
tory for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1905, are extremely satisfactory. While
a decrease of approximately 81 ,000O 900
Is SHOWN III the value VI iii ppl 10, lilCiN
is an increase of 81, 000, 900 in the value
of exports, making net gain of ST.
100000 in the trade balance for the
year.
In the trade with the mainland there
has been a decrease of S2S0,000 in the
value of goods imported; on the 9TH
er hand, the value of exports has in
creased from $25,133, 533 to $36,114,9S5.
Nearly the whole of this gain of SILL
0000 900 can be attributed to the higher
price paid for sugar.
The general health of the Territory
has been excellent, there having oc-
Cured 2640 deaths in population OF
154,201, equaling an annual death rate
17.14 per thousand inhabitants
The new immigration station at Ho-
nolulu was opened on July 3, 1903.
Heretofore the executive offices of the
immigration service were located IN
practically one room of the appraiser
building, the quarters for detained i'm
migrants and the station for examina-
ton and other work in connection with
new arrivals on Channel wharf. These