The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-23

lands of the West are dotted Expen
sive systems have been built in many
areas and it has been discovered later
that not sufficient water is available
to operate them, or that an important
source had been overlooked and could
not then be utilized.
1T is to avoid errors of this kind that
a systematic survey of the waters of the
Territory is now being undertaken, and
as it progresses, you will find yourselves
laying a broader and broader founda-
ton for that true development that
knows no retrogression because it is
founded on precise knowledge of those
factors upon which it depends.
Hosmer ON Hawaii Needs.
Ralph S. Hosmer, chairman of the
Territorial Conservation Commission Of
Hawaii, spoke on Conservation in Ha-
wall as follows:
Within the past eighteen months con-
servation has become household word
in Hawaii. For some years the people
of these islands have been familiar
with the general principles underlying
the movement, through seeing them in
actual operation. But it is only of late
that there has come to be realized in
it's true value the relation that exists
between a right use of the natural re-
sources and the sustained economic
prosperity of the Territory. It is not
necessary before this audience for me
to define what is meant by the term
Conservation, nor to elaborate upon the
principles that underlie the movement.
But in movement that has developed
so rapidly and has so many ramlfica-
tions as does conservation, it is Lot
always easy to keep accurate track of
Just what has taken place. Consequent
ly we are justified in stepping now and
then to look about us to see what prog
| ress is being made. One of the essen.
| tial features of the movement for the
right use of the natural resources is
| the taking of stock-the finding out of
| just what our resources are, that we
may make wise plans for their deyel-
opment and exploitation. The purpose
OF this paper is to take stock of what
is now being done in this Territory to
| bring abut a wider and fuller and bet
/ ter use of some of or local sources
of material wealth and briefly to call
| to mind what the final objects are to-
ward which our efforts are directed.
The most significant recent step in
the progress of conservation in Hawaii
was the enactment last March by the
territorial Legislature of the law au-
thorizing special income tax to pro-
mote the conservation of the natural
| e fbrn,Ierh
migration and other means. Primarily
| an immigration measure, this law, Act
80 of the Session Laws of 1909, provides
/ that tax of two per cent. in addition
| to the existing income tax, shall be
levied on all incomes over $4,000. Three
| fourths of the money so derived is to
| be used for ssthe encouragement of
immigration to the Territory of Ha-
wall in aid and development of the
agricultural resources and conditions =;
one fourth for 'sthe development, con-
| servation, improvement and utilization
of the natural resources of the Terri
tory A subsequent act provided that
to this fund shall be charged the ex-
Expenditures made on account of the work
carried on by the Territorial Board of
| Agriculture and Forestry, the aid to
the Hawaii Experiment Station, and the
money set apart for photographic and
| topographic surveys of the islands, to
be undertaken by experts from the U.
s. Geological Survey. By transferring
the appropriations for these depart
| ments to this special fund the advan-
tage was secured of reducing somewhat
the regular budget and thereby inereas-
ing the amount available for other de-
partments. 1t is not yet apparent just
how much this special income tax will
yield but it seems probable that the
allotments for the several existing bu-
reaus just named viii be somewhat
greater than in the past. The provision
for the photographic and topographic
surveys is of course new item.
Il From a conservation standpoint the
important feature of this Act is that
provision is here made for the first time
for start in the systematic study of
the water problems of the Territory
and the accurate mapping of the semi
arid lands. Both of these are essential
prerequisites to any far reaching plans
for the development and ultimate set
Element of these areas. The passage of
this law makes it possible to follow
up the recommendations of Mr.. F. Fl.
Newell, contained in his mastery report
entitled "Hawaii-its natural resources
and opportunities for home making -
| This report. it will be remembered, is
the outcome of a trip to the islands