The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-02
TERRITORIAL
CONSERVATION
Commission
Continued from Page Nine. }

years, under the direction of the Ter
ritorial government. At the present
time the total area of existing forest
reserves is 444,116 acres, or about one
tenth of the total area of the Terri
tory. Later it is expected considerably
to increase the area so set apart.
In certain of the leeward districts,
where the question of stream protec-
ton does not enter, the Hawaiian for
est has commercial value, and is being
Systematically exploited. The principal
products are ohia lehua railroad ties
and koa lumber--in the trade called
Hawaiian Mahogany fine grained,
rieh-eolored hardwood, of value for in
terror finish and cabinet work.
The forest work of the Territory is
carried on by technically trained men,
Hawaii being one of the eleven States
of the Union to employ professional
forester.
Lands.-Outside of the lands now
under cultivation and those that should
be kept permanently under forest there
are considerable areas that with the
application of water could unquestion-
ably be made of high productive value.
This class of land is now used princi-
pally for cattle grazing. In the aggre-
gate it includes many thousand acres.
1t would appear that much of it is sus-
eeptible of reclamation for some more
intensive form of agriculture. Here again
the present need is for a thorough and
careful study by experts. 1t should
first be ascertained how much of this
class of land can be brought under irri-
cation and second for what purposes
it is best adapted if an adequate water
supply were once assured. This indi-
Gates that along with a photographic
survey there should also be soil sur,
yey and systematic classification of
the land according to the uses to which
it is best adapted. Such Investigations
pave the way for the incoming of the
man who can successfully establish a
home and build up self-sustaining in
dnstry.
In addition to the lands that can be
reclaimed through irrigation there are
in Hawaii large tracts of waste land
such for example as areas covered by
comparatively recent lava flows. Much
of this class of land must always re
hit q
are probably susceptible of being turn
ed to useful account. A systematic
classification of all lands would be 6
long step in this direction.
Organization and Work of the Com
mission.
The Territorial Conservation Commits
sion of Hawaii was appointed by Gov
ernor Frear on July 23rd, 1908. Upol
the organization of the Commission a
meeting held on July 31st, 1908, i
was decided to take up the invstiga
tion through committees, as follows:
? Forests: Messrs. Hosmer and Cart
ley. ~"~
Waters: Messrs. Gartley and W. Q
Smith.
Lands and Soils: Messrs. J. G. Smit
and Dillingham;.
Che several committees at once Sc
about getting statistics and other in
formation. Some of these data are sui
nitted herewith in the form of apper
dices. Other data are not as yet i
shape to be given out but will forl
the subject Of a later report. The state
ments made in the appendices, Will
accurate as far as they go are Their,
fore to be considered as preliminar
only and subject to amplifcation.
1t is perhaps not surprising that
has taken longer to collect accurate il
formation concerning the natural r
sources of the Territory and their pre-
ent condition than was at first aatic
rated. Many of the figures essenti
TO such compilation were found n
to be available or only obtainabla aft
extended inquiry. This condition h
brought home to the Commission t
extreme desirability of having in H
wall some Territorial official ctarg
with the duty of compiling statistic
On almost all the lines of inquiry befo
the Commission it should be p2ssit
to get facts and figures but as it