The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-09-24

I tNmlAfNllNh 70 iNf AfffiANfN ~ ~
wall In hil ana development " he
agricultural resources and conditions ~
one fouHh foi "the development, con
I sefthuon, Improvement and uuhEaiicn
81 TIE natural resources ~ the Terri
tory - A subsequent act provided that
! 10 this fnnd shall be charged the eN.
penditufcs made on account ~ the work
raffied on by the Territorial BOARD OF
Agriculture aud Forestry, the aid 10
/ the Hawaii Experiment Station, and the
money Get apart for photographic and
Topographic surveys Of the islands, 80
Doe undertaken by experts from the u.
:. 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 increas.
ing the amount available for other de.
partments. 1t is not yet apparent just
how much this special income tax will
yield but IL seems probable that the
allotments for the several existing bu-
reaus just named will be somewhat
greater than in the past The provision
/ for the photographic and topographic
surveys is of course new item.
From conservation standpoint the
important feature of this Act is that
provision is here made for the first time
for n 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.. +. H.
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 q trip TO the islands
made by Mr.. Newell last autumn, by
direction Of the then Secretary of the
Interior, Hon. james r. Garfield. It is
emphatic evidence of the value of get
ting influential government officials to
visit the islands. Mr.. Newell was de.
tailed to come here almost immediately
on Secretary Garfield 8 return.
Parenthetically, let me here urge all
those who have not yet read Mr..
Newell's report to lose NO time in get.
ting a copy and becoming familiar with
it. The Promotion Committee has it for
distribution. Copies may be had free
| upon hppHcatlon.
Regarding the work now actually
under way Mr.. Mendenhall will speak
to you in detail Of the investigations
that Mr.. Leighton and he have in hand.
Enough for me to say that the work
started by them is the beginning of one
of the most important steps toward the
reclamation through irrigation Of con.
siderable areas of semi.arid land
throughout the Territory. without
water these lands are of comparatively
low value. With water they will not
only become highly productive but
rightly handled can be made the basis
for American homes. And this is the
ultimate objeet-the goal toward which
all conservation work both here and
on the mainland is directed-the making
possible Of homes for the people.
1t has so often been said that what
Hawaii needs is more American settlers
that the statement tends to become trite
through repetition. But it is none the
less true. Because of the very fact of
its isolated geographic position there
are put upon this Territory by the ma.
, ton certain duties. These can most
efficiently be- performed only when
there is present in Hawaii vigorous
self-reliant American community, OF
sufficient numerical size to control the
local situation. From the standpoints
of military necessity, commercial de.
yelopment and social betterment 1t is
alike essential that there be an increase
in Hawaii in the number Of American
: homes.
There is no possible question of the
desirability of getting such people but
the mere desire for settlers does not
put them on the land. Many attempts
to get permanent settlers have been
made in the past with varying degrees
of success. Based largely on the find
ings of MY. Newell and the recommen
dations in his report, it now appear,
that perhaps the most practicable way
to bring about conditions that would
make 1t possible to attract and secure
the sort of home makers we need, is
, through the extension to Hawaii of the
benefits of the Federal Reclamation Act
Under this law it appears possible to
. reclaim considerable areas of semi-ariC
/. public land on each Of the larger
islands, through irrigation. The Terri
tory has already gone nearly to the lin
it of its resources in its attempts tC
develop the islands along traditiona
, American lines. The burden of tax
: alton has now almost reached the
breaking point The reclamation of the
semi-arid lands is too big and expen
sive a task for this community to tackle
alone. The time has come when aiG
must be sought from some outside
: source. A practicable solution is pre-
serted in the extension to Hawaii OF
; the Federal Reclamation Act of Jun'
: IL, 1902. The Investigations now unde
way mark the path for further ad
; yances. Therefore it should be tn,
pleasure of all large minded citizens a
: it is the duty of Territorial officials t.
|, help on movement that means so mucl
for the future of Hawaii
The Reclamation Act provides for ;
revolving fund-started originally, b,
0 receipts from the sale Of public lands
Z, whereby areas of potentially arabl
i land throughout the West may be re
, claimed through irrigation and trans