The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-09-11
IRRIGATION PLAN
THE BIGGEST ONE YET
CONTINUED from Page One.)


would require water to be furnished at
reasonable rates to lands already home
steaded or to be homesteaded in the
district of Kau.
'The other proposition relates to the
disposition of the lands intended to be
irrigated in the district of Kau The
ditch would have to be constructed on
bonds, and in order to float the bonds
it would be necessary to give sufficient
security to the bondholders
cit would probably be inadvisable to
do as has been done in some other
places, to grant the lands in fee simple
to either the sugar plantations or the
irrigation company.
Congressional Authorization.
"Moreover, under the present laws,
| a sufficiently long lease could not be
given because leases Of agricultural
! lands are now limited to fifteen wears
| and the bonds would have terms or
| forty or fifty years. Perhaps the only
| feasible scheme, if any scheme is feas-
| ible, would be to procure authorization
| by congress to make longer leases, not
to the plantations, but to the irrigation
company The irrigation company then
in turn, could suitcase to the planta-
tions or others. the plantations and
others agreeing to take water during
the terms of their leases Under the
| present laws relating to leases the plan
tations could not afford to enter into
| long contracts for water because the
| public lands which they held might be
withdrawn at any time for homestead
purposes.
Tn 1npe form ShonlI no an.
thorized bv congress to the irrigation
company, there would still be the right
of withdrawal for homestead purposes
and as is done on the mainland, both
in cases in which the government con
structs irrigation works. and in eases il
which privileges are granted to private
companies to do the same. the land
when withdrawn or utilized for home
stead purposes would carry with it it:
proportion of water, so that the home
steader would be obliged to pay fol
the water whether he used it or not
and the water would go to the land a:
part of it. the homesteader paying sc
much more for the land by reason OF
the water.
"That is just because ii adds to the
value of the lands.
In Embryonic State.
"The scheme is in an eXceedingl,
embryonic state, and thus far has sim
ply been nothing more than sugges
ton. Details have not been discussed
vet to any consderabl BILE extent. TIL,
suggestion has been made to the GOV
eminent in order that the government
officials might look into it, and thu
evolve a feasible scheme if possible.
"This suggestion has only recent,
been made to the government, which
has not vet had time to consider it t
any great extent. It is, however,
matter of very great public importance
and for that reason it is thought hes
to inform the public in regard to it a
this early stage.
at NAV be that others viii hav
suggestions. The best alternative prop
osition would be to construct a ditcI
by the government itself, by the issu
ance of bonds TO be paid, principal AM
$. interest. out Of the revenue derive,
= from the ditch portion of the waite
i would probably lie sold to Olaa planta
ton, and perhaps others in the Puma dis
trict, before it reaches kau.
"Another alternative suggestion !
LndG II HfgHb ne btittI 10 TAKE III
water over the Waimea divide to tn
! slopes from Waimea towards the Yves
--Lside of the island where there is
:; large amount of good land which ha
not yet been used for agricultural pun
poses for lack of water. The ditch O
that side would probably cost less, bu
there are no plantations or other inter
ests there yet to take the water. an
p under the present conditions Of -th
labor supply it may be that capitalist
would not care to start a plantation a
2 the present time.
? "Of course, it might be possible t
e homestead those lands, although tina
e would probably be slow process Niue
y of these lands is also privately ownr
Y There are, indeed, many things to b
0 considered in a matter of this kind