The Hawaiian star., 1910-07-02


ing the Hamakua Ditch enterprises is
culled from the original prospectus of
the company and from the report of
f. H. Newell on the subject:
The Hawaiian Irrigation Company,
Limited, was organized in Honolulu,
and was the outgrowth of the plans of
certain promoters who had only parti-
ally succeeded in financing the mann
moth project abroad. At first the word
Ditch appeared in the name of the
concern in place of the word "Irriga-
ton and it is related that that diff
ference in names thoroughly balked
me scheme of the original promoters
to obtain money in London-despite
the familiar saying that there's moth
ing in name" English capitalists un-
dCrstOod a ditch" to be a drain, gene.
rally running through or around a field
for the purpose of carrying away sur
plus water; and could not understand
how dividends were to be made out of
a ditch The proposition appeared
to them as more humorous than bust,
nesslil;e, and the perfectly honest and
sincere promoters of the scheme turn
ed away from London with feelings of
no little disappointment
At any rate, when they got back
to Honolulu they lost no time in cut
ting the Ditch" out of the proposition
and the concern became, as it is today
; THE Hawaiian Irrigation Company
Limited" something understandable
everywhere
The object of the Hawaiian Irrigation
Company Limited. is in brief, the sup
iplying of mountain water, by means of
, one upper and one lower irrigation
canal, from the large watershed and
permanent streams of the Kohala
mountains, Hawaii, to the sugar es-
: tatos in the Hamakua district, where
. a large area, which is capable of con-
siderable extension, is now under
cultivation. The rights acquired and
now held by the Company give 1t the
practical monopoly of the supply and
distribution of the mountain water to
this district for a term of fifty years
from the first of July, 1904.
f The plans and arrangements of the
f Company's waterways and reservoirs
were designed and laid out by Jorgen
Jorgenscn, c. E., who carried out mis-
portion of, the work scientifically ana
} efficiently. The two canals, or bitches,
t are rs follows.
Upper Hamalkua Ditch-The heads
n in the Kohala mountains, about five
miles south of the head of the Kohala
= 5000 feet. 1t receives water from seve
e raj small streams before these fall ovel
e the pals into the Waipio valley IN
G continues, by a series of tunnels and
II semi-circular steel fuming, running
u along the upper edges of the pals
/ through the forest reserve and easterly
! to the open country, where series oi
!, reservoirs are located. The tota
u length is % miles. The flow is clever
million gallons day, and the capacity
Z of the reservation $50 million gallons
|, The cost was about $4,000.
u Lower HamalIua Ditch.-This ditcl
Il heads near the intake of the Upper
! Hamallua ditch, but about 1900 fee
u lower. 1t receives water from springs
. and also a small quantity from the sur
Iplus left by the upper ditch, Its tun
nels are in a general way parallel tC
the upper ditch, covering the lowel
II part of the same plantation; flow, 6j
J. to 20 million gallons per day; cos
y $SOO,OOO
In the original plans, prior to the
9 bond issue of the Company, the follow
ing contracts for water had been nego
Il tiated The Paauhau Sugar Plantation
Company, 21,5OO,O0O gallons daily; Ho-
" nokaa Sugar Company 15,625,OO0; Pa
cihc Sugar Mill, 9,375,OOO. Since ther
these figures have been enlarged some
what and other contracts made. These
= contracts are for thirty years (pricei
fixed for twenty yearsr,
!, The revenue from the upper cana'
: at the time of the bond issue was II
> the neighborhood of $7S,25O per annun
. and the revenues derivable upon tn
:, contracts then made for water from tn
q ditch estimated at $1O5,OOO, making tn
+ total revenues at that time $17S,25O
70 The expenses of operation were est
venue for both canals about $247 25'
per annum.
- These figures were based upon tn
y sale of only 46,5OO,OOO gallons dali!
= With the full supply of 75,OOO,OO0 ga
- Ions, which are now available with tn
- completion of the lower ditch, th