The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-11-03
NEWELL TALKS
ABOUT HIS
WORK
From Mondays Advertlser.,l

NrIOu nnOHuhy y ftuNGTllSCT.l
Mr.. Newell's address descriptive of
the reclamation work in the arid
regions of the United States, under the
auspices Of the Chamber of Commerce,
at the Hawaiian Opera House last even
ing, was very well attended. There
was good house and the most atten-
tive interest. Boxes were reserved and
occupied by Governor Frear and his
party, officers of the Chamber of Com
merce, of the Merchants Association,
and of the Commercial Club. The audi
ence was representative, and included
very many people of prominence.
Governor Frear in introducing the
subject and the speaker said that it
had been supposed that the public
domain. in the United States was 80
large that everyone who wanted could
secure 100 acres of farming land prac-
tically by asking for it, for generations
yet to come. But it had been found
that there, as here, large as the public
domain is, because of its arid character
or for other reasons, most of this do.
main is untitled for homesteads or for
cultivation. Because of this great works
have been undertaken and are now be-
ing undertaken under the direction of
our great President, to, fit areas of this
land for cultivation and for homes and
homesteads.
awe in these Islands, - continued the
Governor, "should be appreciative Of
this work for we must know that Of
all our industries the sugar industry
as the principal one and of our sugar
crop half of it is raised on arid lands
that have been reclaimed at great cost,
$15,O00,O0O.
"The United States Reclamation ser.
vice is under the Department of the In
terror at the head of which is Secre-
tary Garfield. When Mr.. Garfield was
here he was so impressed with what
appeared to him the possibilities of re-
,clamation here that he asked Mr..
Newell to come here and go over the
ground. Both Secretary Garfield and
Mr.. Newell have long desired that this
work should be extended to this Terri.
tory, and they will do all that they can
to secure favorable action by Congress.
If this is secured and there seems little
doubt that it can be, it will mean that
millions of dollars will be spent here in
reclaiming land and making it fit for
diversified industries and homes.
81 have very great pleasure in in
Producing to you Mr.. Newell who is
at the head of this service and who will
tell you something of the work that has
been done.'
at is pleasure to me-" began Mr..
Newell, "to tell something of the great
work which is being done. L came here
at the request of Secretary Garfield to
study conditions and accomplishments
here. For while the end is the same and
the principles underlying all such en-
terprises are much the same, means and
methods are different, and we might
well expect to get sidelights from what
is being done here ON what we are do
ing there.
cit is just twenty years ago this
month that Congress passed an act
authorizing an investigation as to just
what extent the arid region might be
reclaimed. Twenty years is long
time in the life-work of man, but
it is only the beginning of this great
work which will be the life-work of
many men for many years to come.
1t is just twenty years since / receiv-
ed my appointment as an engineer in
this work and l have been connected
with it practically ever since.
81 have been enjoying your islands
for the past several weeks. You know
we on the mainland have such broad
area to attract our attention that when
any of us happens to realize that there
are parts of our country outside of
the continental boundaries we take all
the pride of original discovery in
them. have been interested in the
problems of reclamation that have been
presented to you to solve and in the
way you have solved them. But the
principles underlying them are the same
as those we have had to deal with.
1t was in 1901 that President Roose-
welt recommended to Congress that the |
proceeds from the sale of the public |
domain be set aside for the purpose
of retaining other portions of the
public domain. The purpose of this /
reclamation is to make homes for citi-
zens. 1t is not merely to put this
much additional land under productive
cultivation. 1t isn't to enable men
to get rich or even engage in produc-
tive industry. But the only real and
satisfying reason why the government
should take up these reclamation prof.
eets is to enable citizens to create