The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-09-11
Would Carry Ditch from HiIo Clear
Around to Kau for Pahala
and Hutchinson.
A DITCH NINETY MILES LONG
Manager Wolters Returns from
Coast With Outline of the
Plan Mapped Out.

Reclamation of the Kau district of /
the Island Of Hawaii, rendering its arid
lands fertile and increasing the sugar
| output and area for further develop
| ment, are included in a scheme for
water development reported by Man
/ ager Carl Wolters of Hutchinson plan
taton, and John T. McCrosson, who
| returned from the Coast Monday on
the Matson steamship Wllhelm,n4
Since the development of the water
resources OF the Islands began a few
years ago, Kauai, Maui, Oahu and a
portion of Hawaii have received atten-
| ton from the engineering experts. and
water which previously went to waste
either by direct flow into the ocean or
by sieying through the porous soil into
the Subterranean reservoirs. is now con-
served and sent onto valuable cane
lands. and also areas which may be de-
veloped by homesteaders, but nothing
has so far been done toward relieving
thirsty Kau.
In the Kau district are Hutchinson
and Pahala plantations, both of which
suffer for want of water, and some sea-
sons end with the sugar output mate
rally decreased because of drought.
Pahala has not only suffered from lack
of water, but at one time it was threat
ened with humiliation by the leafhop-
per, which ravaged almost the entire
estate.
| It is understood that Manager VOL
ters' visit to California was directly
connected with the proposal to organize
a company for the purpose of securing
lwater somewhere in the Hilo district
and carrying it by a system of bitches
and tunnels almost one-fourth around
the Island into Kan district and along
the upper levels Of cane lands Of the
two plantations. The ditch will be ear
ried past the crater of Kilauea. prob
ably about q thousand or fifteen hun
bred feet below that famous volcanic
wonder, and down into the region which
is so sadly in need of water.
Those interested in seeing that part
of the Big Island developed, that it
Imay be made attractive to homestead
ers. and thereby tend to increase the
population, which is at low ebb, are
of the opinion that the federal reclama-
| ton service has there an opportunity
| to put its theories and money into prac-
brought to the attention of the Gov
ernor and the superintendent of public
works With a combination of the fed
eraI and territorial governments and
those interested in the cane develop
ment of that part of the Island, there
lis hope that the water now going to
waste in the Hilo hnterand will be
! conserved and conducted into the arid
region. There are thousands of acres
of land that can be developed into a
| rich agricultural district, if only water
can be brought upon it.
The upper lands are considered excel
| lent for cattle raising, but without
water cattle have died there by thou
sands. There are many reasons why
water should be brought into Kau, the
promoters state. and not the least of
these reasons is that the country can
be made attractive to homesteading.
The entire scheme is a big one.
Governor Frear's Analysis.
Governor Frear, to whom the PROPOSE
| ton has been suggested, gave many de-
| tails of the suggested plan for the
| ditch. "'The suggestion has been made
by John T. McCrosson,' he said, % that
| an irrigation ditch be constructed to
1
from HakaIau and Hilo districts on the
windward side of Hawaii, around into
| the district of Kau. The ditch would
begin at an elevation of about $500
. feet. pass through Olaa and below the
: volcano. and through the district OF
f Kau at sufficient elevation to irrigatt
e the lands requiring irrigation in that
:. district It would be cement lined anC
n would be perhaps ninety miles in length
:. OF course. II would cost large amount
Y of money.
f "The lands which IT would be ex
: pected to water would be those nov
It occupied in fee simple or under leas'
: by the Pahala and Hutchinson suga
4 plantations and other lands used 70
e grazing and by homesteaders. A larg'
i proportion of the land is owned by TIL
: government and another large proper
4 ton by the Bishop Estate.
Would Be Making of District.
IS - It would be the making of that dis
5 trict and would make it possible no
/ only TO supply adequately with waite
d lands not under cultivation. and which
o suffer from time to time from drought
e but also to bring a great deal of add
e tional land under cultivation. as far
r the extreme south point of the island o
Hawaii
"The scheme involves two PROPOSE
tons. One j the granting Of waite
} license the terms of which would b.
such as would protect those who re
$ 0uire water from the same sources il
k the district Of Hilo. and also such a
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