The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-08-03
GOV. CARTER DECLARES
KAU FOREST RESERVE

public lands for forest reservations az
to too much cur;all the amount OF land
available for settlement purposes
Since there ls an unlimited market for
tropical fruits on the mainland ut "A
good price. and believing that with i'm
proved shipping facilities Hawaii has
a promising future for small farner
In growing bananas and pineapples.
and since these fruits do we'll at a
higher elevation than the sugar cane.
think II would be wise to open up q
/ belt OF land, above and adjoining the
cane belt for homestead purposes. and
leave, for instance. the lower one half
OF the forest belt or, rather. as much
of 1t as is first-class agricultural or
horticultural land, out OF the reserva--
ton for this purpose. but to include
all gulches hilly, stony and rough land
In the reservation. By doing so. / 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 I'M
even places. would prevent a too rapid
draining off and evaporation OF the
water, and at the same time act as
wlndbrakes 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 at
suitable places, to store up water In for
dry years. In rainy years about two
thirds Of the water is running unused
now.
| would further like to suggest that
Il would be wise to see that some ohfa
forest was included in the reservation,
as the ohin wood is the most valuable
fiTewood there Is in the Hawaiian for
ests, and firewood is certainly going to
he scarce here unless the government
takes hand in its preservation.
also believe that by proper sman-.
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 profitably
carried on in the reservations. Suit
able roads could be laid out TO begin
with, and proposals asked for to con-
strucl 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
roads to make logging possible. in the
first place, and after the roads were
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.
1 am sir, yours respectfully,
]. e. GAMALIELSON.
p. S.-The foregoing would apply
most particularly to the conditions In
The Hilo districts. ]. T.. G.
CAN GET TT BACK.
Governor Carter commented on this
etter that it was an argument rather
,or reservation than against it.
Forester Hosmer stated that he had
tent special invitation to Mr.. Dodge
If the Bishop Estate to attend the
meeting, and to Mr.. Jared Smith.
Neither was, however, on hand. Mr..
dOsmer said that in conversation over
his reservation with Mr.. Pratt, the
land Commissioner, that gentleman
lad brought up the question of the
availability of this land for to-
'acco culture Hosmer had sub
gone into It with Jared
smith, but that gentleman had said
hat he was not familiar with the
ract, but that it was remote and the
'ndings on that coast were bad. 1t
you'd not be available for tobacco for
ONE time to come-and, when it was
'anted, it could probably be obtained.
At this point Governor Carter pro-
laimed the reserve, and the meeting
djourned.
In some general talk following the
leeting, the Governor said that the
'nited States Congress had passed a
wv at the last session providing for
he taking up of homesteads within
orest reserves under certain specified
and intimated that there
as a line of policy shown here that
ould be proftably looked into.
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