The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-02

III growing bananas and pineapples
and since these fruits do we'll at a
higher elevation than the sugar cane
l think it would be wise to open up e
belt of land, above and adjoining the
cane belt. for homestead purposes and
leave, for instance, the lower one-halt
Of the forest belt, or, rather, as much
of it as is first-class agricultural or
/ horticultural land out of the reserva-
ton for this purpose, but to include
/ all gulches, billy, stony and rough land
| in the reservation. BY doing so, I be-
! lieve that sufficient of the forest would
be reserved to preserve the water sup
ply without tying up too much of the
| land needed for farming purposes. The
| trees left standing in and around the
| gulches, and on the hillsides and un-
| even places. would prevent too rapid
| draining off and evaporation of the
| water, and at the same time act as
| windbrakes for the settlers.
| The water supply, for transportation
purposes on the plantations, would, no
| doubt, be lessened to some extent by
| clearing so much of the forest land,
| but besides allowing the forest to grow
| in the gulcheS, ETC., the gulches could
| also be used to build storage reservoirs
| in, by building dams across them ar
suitable places, to store up water in for
dry years. In rainy years about two
thirds of the water is running unused
now.
l would further like to suggest that
il would be wise to see that some onia
forest was included in the reservation
as the ohia wood is the most valuable
frewood there is in the Hawaiian for
ests, and firewood is certainly going to
be scarce here unless the government
takes a hand in it's preservation.
7 also believe that by proper man
agement of the forest reservations the
same can be made to be a source of
revenue to the government. The same
conditions prevail in the government
forests as in the forests on the Bishop
Estate lands, and with proper shipping
facilities, logging, properly and sys-
tematically done, could be proftably
carried on in the reservations. Suit
able roads could be laid out to begin
with, and proposals asked for to con-
strucI roads at SO many feet per thou
sand feet of timber taken out of the
matured timber, under government
supervision. The timber would thus
be made to pay for the building of
first place, and after the roads We're
built stumpage could be collected in
cash, and by going over the ground
in that way, and periodically cutting
and removing the matured trees that
are now obstructing the growth and
development of the young trees, the
growth of the timber would be greatly
promoted, and the reservation could
be gone over in this manner, profit
ably, once in every ten years, Or
oftener. Respectfully submitted.
/ am sir, yours respectfully
j. E. GAMALIELSON.
P. S.-The foregoing would apply
most particularly to the conditions in
the Hilo districts. ]. E. G.
CAN GET IT BACK.
Governor Carter commented on this
letter that it was an argument rather
for reservation than against it.
Forester Hosmer stated that he had
sent a special invitation to Mr.. Dodge
of the Bishop Estate to attend the
meeting, and to Mr.. Jared Smith.
Neither was, however, on hand. Mr..
Hosmer said that in conversation over
CnlS reservation VIII IIdlb, TIC
Land Commissioner, that gentleman
had brought up the question of the
availability of this land for to-
hacco culture. Hosmer had sub
sequently gone into it with Jared
Smith, but that gentleman had said
that he was not familiar with the
tract, but that it was remote and the
landings on that coast were bad. 1t
would not be available for tobacco for
some time to come-and, when it was
wanted, it could probably be obtained.
At this point Governor Carter pro-
claimed the reserve, and the meeting
adjourned.
In some general talk following the
meeting, the Governor said that the
United States Congress had passed a
law at the last session providing for
the taking up of homesteads within
forest reserves under certain specified
conditions, and intimated that there
was a line of policy shown here that
would be proftably looked into.