The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-01-12
KAU DITCH WI BE BENEFIT
TO Til W''Att TERRITORY
Says Committee Which
Recommends Bill
for Passage.

Although Delegate Kainnianaoio NJ
one time during the hearing Of the Kau
T Ditch Bin bofore the house committee
on Territories suggested an amendment,
the bin was reported fayorably ne
passed in the local legislature and has
been referred to the committee of the
whole. Mr.. Mcclellan appeared as tho
I sponsor of the bill before the commit.
tee and argued its advantages. to Ha
wall, while John IT. McCrosson was also
before the committee to explain just
what he wanted. The committee had
hearings on the bin on December s, o
and ID, the Delegate attending each SEES
sion as member of the committee.
On the last date, just as the commit.
tee was about to rise, the Delegate
said: F..
Mr.. Chairman, would like to say
just few words. introduced a bill
last year bearing upon the construction
of irrigation bitches in Hawaii, but it
was a general bill, applying to the Ter.
ritory at large, and not restricted, as is
the present bill, to particular locality
and particular scope and object. Upon
consideration in committee 1 felt INF
PEELED to withdraw that bill.
/ "Owing to my own opposition and
that of others to the former bill, the
legislature of Hawaii has taken IN 4he
matter and has sanctioned and advised
the passage Of the present bill. This
bill has my approval, largely because
it is plan directed to one locality Of
one of our islands and seeks the
reclamation of large tracts Of land at
present unfit for the higher purposes
of agriculture because Of the lack of
4 water to. bring crops to perfection.
am therefore willing that il should pass
and that the experiment which it in.
wolves may be tried out in that particu.
lar locality. .4
i "But would like the committees, to
be entirely sure that it contains moth.
ing prejudicial to the rights of home
steaders. The matter of homesteadinf
the public lands of Hawaii is one of
great and vital Importance to the wei,
fare of the Territory, and 1 would be
unwilling that any provision should be
included in this or in any bill which
might possibly operate to the prejudice
of homesteaders. To that end I would
like an opportunity to further study
the bill before it be reported, and to
sctutinize it more closely than 1 have
thus far been able to do, with a view
to determine whether any of it's provi.
sions might bear iniuriously upon the
rights of homesteaders.
~ would like to offer the following
amendment, 10 insure full supply of
water for h0mesteaders:
After line 3, page 6, insert: t'Pro-
vided further, That the ditch COM
pany shall furnish to the lands
withdrawn for the purposes afore-
said the same proportionate guam
Il tity of water per acre as is con-
traeted for by the larger leasehold- =
I. ers for the government lands irria1
gated under this project, and at the
1 same rates, if the homesteader. or
other person holding the beneficial
use of the lands so withdrawn, de-
sifes to contract for the same"
| Report Of the Committee. y
The report of the committee, which
was adopted by the house, was:
aThe Committee on the Territories,
to whom was referred the bill III. r.
1929 authorizing John T. McCrosson
and associates to construct an irriga-
tion ditch on the Island of Hawaii, Ter
ritOry of Hawaii, having had the same
under consideration, reports it back
with amendments and with the recon-
mendation that the bill as amended do
pass.
FThis bill, as submitted to your com
mittee, was a verbatim copy of an act
passed by the Hawaiian Legislature in
April, 1911, with only one dissenting
vote. A certified copy of that act was
published on pages 1251-1252 of the
Congressional Record of May 16, 1911.
''The bill authorizes the construc;
tion of an irrigation ditch, with re!
seryoirs and accessories, to impound
waters, now wasted, in the easterly or
wet section of the island of Hawaii, and
to convey the same a total distance of
about 100 miles for the reclamation and
development of arid and semiarid lands
in the southern part of that island,
which lands are designated on the Gov.
eminent map ms the tKau Desert"
"The ditch is required by the bill to
have a minimum capacity of 100000.
900 gallons of water per day, IL expect,
| - ~ %feh0fN1 4OgODv
acres of land, and is estimated TO cost
81, 100000. No Government subsidy or
guaranty Of securities ii asked for.
"The rights and activities of the
company are, by sections 1,s2, and 3,
limited to the construction and dopera.
tion Of an irrigation system The com
pany il not authorized TO carry on agri'
cultural operations, aud It's right 10 ae.
qniFe and hold land (see. 81 Il lin ted
to such land rs Is necessary, con ven.
lent, Or properb for reservoir sites,
rights Of way, and similar requirements
of 4 ditch system, - specified Ia see
lion i,
The right of emlnent domain, eonferT.
81 n section Z, IL properly limited 20
the direct needs aud FeaniTemenls #
The lfflgatian syaleip.D
'iipdead " haYlng The arid 0oYeFp'
mant laHas sold for : nominal gnm 70
lhose wlo gill reclaim aBd euliiFafa
ihfm, ~ 4 a9ae under fha Carey Act