The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-11-04
KAU DITCH PLAN CALLS FOR THE
EXPENDITURE OF THREE MILLIONS
Edward Po Here to Further Discuss Project With the Governor
Water Would Make Hutchinson 10000 Ton
Pantaton-0hia for the Ditch
tFrom wednesday Advortlsor.l

Three million dollars is the estimate I
of Edward Pollitz, the San Francisco
capitalist, for the construction of the
Kau irrigation ditch from Puma and
Olaa districts around the crater of XII
lauea into Klaus semiarid unreclaimed
lands. Mr.. Pollitz arrived yesterday
on the Matson steamship Wilbelmina
on his usual visit or inspection of the
sugar situation, but his visit this time
is primarily to hold conferences with
Governor Frear and others in regard to
the proposed waterway.
Mr.. Pollitz is the president of the
Hutchinson plantation of Kau, which
now produces about 1000 tons of sugar
annually. The plantation which adjoins
! the Pahala estate is situated in the
large district of Kau at the lower ex-
tremity of the island of Hawaii,
region where rainfall is infrequent and
the water supply extremely limited.
Drouth occasionally visits the country
and the output is made smaller than
the estimates.
To remedy this defect of nature Mr..
Pollitz and associates have long planned
to carry water from Puma into Kau by
ditch line which will be in the neigh
borhood of ninety miles in length. John
T. McCrosson, the promoter of the Ha-
: makua ditch enterprises which are now
supplying water for the Hamakua plan
l tations to increase their yearly output,
, is one of Mr.. Pollitz' associates. The
, matter has already been laid before
}, Governor Frear who has heartily en-
!, dorsed the project
I Mr.. Pollitz stated yesterday that the
plan is a most feasible one, and al
though ditch line ninety miles long
l seems to be great undertaking, yet
: with modern machinery the ditch can
! be constructed easily.
Line Ditch with ohia.
J. One of Mr.. Pollitz' plans for the
making of the ditch especially through
e the sixty.fve miles of lava formation
= near the crater of Kilauea is to line
h the excavation with Ohia timbers, filing
+ the interstices with pitch. He has
V great faith in the durability of ohia,
e especially when subjected to continu-
b Gus submersion in water. He believes
+ this would be a much better lining than
: cement, which would crack badly from
earth tremors permitting water to seep
e out. The ohia proposition is an ad.
e vanced one and from an engineering
IS standpoint, an excellent one.
The proposition for the ditch is be
,e ing advanced by Mr.. Pollitz. as head OF
v the Hutchinson plantation for with wa
is ter to distribute over its estate, and
TO with additional lands brought in, the
le plantation might be developed from
TO 1000 to forty or fifty thousand tor
in plantation This would make Hutchin
as son one of the biggest producers in tn,
Y. Islands. Arguing from this standpoint
n. alone, Mr.. PollitZ states that the Ter
IN ritory would reap a rich reward in taxa
\ tion returns from this great develop
n. ment, while all the lands adjoining, ol
o. even those in the entire Kau district
would he made valuable because of tn,
@. water supply which could be turned
is upon them.
n Would Aid the Territory.
eh The proposed ditch company will as
~ from the Territory a fifty-year lease o
n' portion of the Kau district land
., These would be developed into suga
gu while the government would have
-. vast amount Of land for homesteadin
80 purposes, this yielding the governmer
H. additional revenue, and providing cit
~ zens with opportunities to build home
~ The company, when organized wi
- !. ask for an amendment TO the amende
u, land law, to be passed at the comm
'' short session of congress, giving III
company the right TO acquire from N
Territory a ffty.year lease Of N
lands The lease would be cotermini
tive with the ditch which would the
revert 10 the Territory.
Without tho ditch the Kau lands wi
continue 10 be wild waste, unprodu,
tive and unavailable for homesieadin
or development along agricultural
other lines. With the ditch the eafil