The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-10-11
Makee Plantation on Kauai VIII
Construct Ditch and
Reservoir.
GOVERNOR APPROVES PLAN
WaiahOIe Lease Completed and
Work on KooIau Tunnel
Win Start.

After a conference with Rufus Spald
ing, manager of the Makee Sugar Plan,
tation of Kauai, Governor Frear made
the announcement yesterday afternoon
that all details for the construction OF
the Kauai giant reservoir and ditch had
been completed
AS the result of the arrangement
made between the executive and the
plantation manager, the sugar company
is to go ahead with the work as soon
as possible aud will rush to finish the
completion of the reservoir and ditch
which together will cost approximately
$25, 5000.
The arrangement between the Terri.
tory and the Kauai plantation is the re.
suit of years of effort ON the part of the
Makee company to obtain extra water
rights for its lands, resulting in the ar.
rangement whereby the plantation will
construct the ditch and reservoir on
land leased from the government, and
| be permitted to use same without rent,
the land, ditch and reservoir to revert
back to the Territory at the end of
seven years.
According to the Governor, there win
be considerable tunneling to be done in
connection with constructing the ditch
and as a result the reservoir will be
filed at all times with an ample water
supply for the plantation.
Plantation Constructs
In return for the tract of land leased
the plantation is to bear the cost and
work of construction of the ditch and
reservoir. The leased lands, which COM
prise several hundred acres, are in the
Anohola and Kamalomalo districts and
adjoin the Kapaa lands.
AS far back as 1901, the Makee Plan
tation has been attempting to come to
some kind of an agreement with the
government whereby the plantation
would obtain water-rights in the vicin-
| ity of the plantation, but believing that
the Territory should under no circum-
stances give up its control of the water
rights in the island the plantations
requests were refused. p
In the proposed agreement discussed
by the land board in 1910, the contract
was to include all the Kappa water, ex-
cept such as the commissioner might
reserve for the use of homesteaders and
residents of the district. At any time
that the crop was removed from the
ground, the Territory reserved the right
to withdraw all or portion of the lease
at its absolute discretion. The lands
were to be leased for $1,000 year.
This proposition was later found to
be unsatisfactory, with the result that
the present plan for a ditch and reser-
voir to be built by the plantation and
to revert to the Territory after term
of years, was decided upon.
Mr.. Spalding left for Kauai on the
steamer Hall yesterday evening.
Waiahole License Completed.
AT meeting of the land commission
ers yesterday morning, definite de-
license was made, the license drawn up
and arrangements completed to place
advertisements in the daily papers Of
fering the rights at auction.
Governor Frear and Attorney Frank
Thompson, of the Oahu Sugar Planta-
tiOn, held a long conference with the
members of the board in the senate
chamber, and after adjusting a few
minor points which came up for settle
ment, prepared the license.
By the agreement, the Waiahole
Water Company, which has been
formed to handle the proposition, has
agreed to begin construction of the
tunnel through the Koolau mountain
range within six months. The upset
price for the use of the Waiahole water
sources has been fixed at fiat rate
of $4,000 per annum, and in return
the purchasers are to receive license
to the water supply for thirty years
with the privilege of renewing for three
tenyear periods.
At the end of the thirty years, the
Territory shall be entitled to take
100000 gallons daily from the stream
at the leeward side of the Island and
may sell to other consumers, not com
petitors of the owners of the ditch.
AT the end of sixty years from the
original date of purchase, all rights to
the use of the ditch and tunnel shall
revert to the Territorial government.
AS the Oahu Sugar Plantation is the
only corporation in a position to go
ahead with the tunnel construction
work, it is understood that the Waia.
hole Water Company is composed of
members of the Oahu Sugar Plantation
Company and will be the only bidder
for tho waterright at the public auc.
tion to be held shortly.