The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-09-17
SENATORS HEAR
HAWA||'S PLEA

Seattle P..I.-Immediately following
an illustrated lecture by j. P. Blanch.
ard, statistieian of the United States
Reclamation Service, delivered in the
lecture hall of the Hawaiian building
yesterday afternoon, the United States
Senate committee ION irrigation and
reclamation districts and projects heard
delegation from Hawaii who present
ed reasons for extending the reclama-
ton law to that Territory.
Senator Thomas IL. Carter, of Mon
tana, presided at the hearing. The other
members of the Senate committed pres
ent were Senators George +. Chamber.
lain of Oregon, Francis +. Warren OF
Wyoming, and Thomas II. Paynter OF
Kentucky. Senator Samuel ii. Piles
of Washington, while not d member of
the committee, was present. Others
present at the meeting were +. ii.
Newell, Director of the Reclamation
Service; \. +. Knudsen, Hawaiian Com
missioner; w. j. Cooper, of Honolulu;
r. $. Hosmer, Superintendent of For
estry of the Territory of Hawaii; j. =
Cooke, of Honolulu; DR.. y. b. Emerson
of Hawaii, and w. j. Niece, of the
Department of Agriculture, Washing
ton, ID. G..
The Senators were decorated will
leis and served with pineapples grown
on the Islands, which they ate while
listening to Mr.. Hosmer and Mr. Cooke
Mr.. Hosmer had prepared a brief anG
had other documents which he asked
be incorporated in the record. The
hearing was both formal and brief
The Senators, after listening to Mr.
Blanchard Is lecture, went into the con
ference with the Hawaiians, and as
soon as they got through with that
evinced desire to see some of the fair
81 want to see the Pay street, OF
streak. or whatever they call it, SAID
one of the Senators to another in an
undertone. And with the leis around
their necks they might have been seer
later mingling with the frivolous crowd
ON the joy street.
Mr.. Hosmer, who presented the briet
on behalf of Hawaii said in part:
"Because of its unique geographic
position, the Territory of Hawaii i!
called upon by the nation to reform
certain duties that require for thei,
most efficient fulfllment a larger pop
| ulation of American citizens than il
! now present on the islands. The PEG
| pie of Hawaii have for many years, anC
are now, making every effort to in
crease the number of white resident!
in the Territory, but the task is too
large a one for that small and isolated
community successfully to handle alone
The time has come when Federal assist
ance is required. The most practicabl,
way in which assistance can be rem
dered is the making possible of Amer
lean homes on considerable tracts o:
semi-arid public land in Hawaii tina
with irrigation can be made produc
| tive. This can be accomplished by tn
| extension to Hawaii of the benefits o.
the Federal reclamation act of June IL
1902.
"There are in the Territory consider
able areas of semi-arid public land tina
with irrigation can be available TO
settlement. This land is of the typ,
which the reclamation act is designed
to make available for use.
"Because of its geographic position
! Hawaii has an importance out of al
proportion to its area or population
Lying as tne ISLANDS 90 III Une cenue
of the Pacific. 2100 miles southwes
of San Francisco, Hawaii is the onl.
land from which hostile fleet coul'
menace our western coast. Strongl,
fortified and held as a naval base b.
the United States. Hawaii PRACTICAL.
| safeguards the entire west coast froI
San Diego to Puget Sound.
"The time has now come when Fed
eral aid is required to enable the Tel
ritory efficiently to perform the dutie
laid upon it by the nation. Adequatel
to perform the work that lies aheaC
there is needed on the islands an ae
gressive, selfreliant American CON
munity of sufficient numerical size t
control the local situation. What Hs
wall asks is that Congress, through tn
extension of the reclamation act to tn
islands. give Hawaii an equal chanc
with other states and territories i
building up IT'S population of America
citizens.