Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-30
CHIEF NEEDOF
MAUI At PRESENT
|S.'GOOD ROADS
Continued from page one)

Continued from page one)
of this must. until very recently, have
been covered on horseback has been
reduced about five miles by an extern
sion Of road from the Hama side. But
still there remains between Is and 20
miles of trail.
But why the belt road? What is
there to warrant the expenditure OF
from 5000. 900 to 100000 needed to
open a satisfactory highway to re-
place the present trails? What is
| there at Hama or in the mountain dis
/ trict intervening To justify the whole
island in shOuldering such an under
taking? True, the road would be
! convenience to the people of the Hama
district, but they are few in number
/ and have a weekly steamer service.
/ The rest of the island is in no sense
! dependent upon this part Of the island.
Hama Districts Isolation.
1t is true that Hama is a small COM
munity. There is a sugar plantation,
small as plantations go in these ISL
ands, which surrounds the town of
Hama. and a still smaller one at XII.
pahulu some 10 miles further east.
| 1t might be mentioned in passing that
neither of, these plantations is doing
! very we'll under prevailing sugar
prices, and their future Is far from
bright. At Nahiku, some eight miles
| west of Hama, is the center of Ha-
waits rubber industry, which is not
yet out of the woods so far as profits
are concerned There are scarcely e.
dozen white families in the district,
and they are almost all connected with
the plantation or with the rubber bust
ness. A few hundred Portuguese have
their little homes here, characteristic
cally surrounded with vines and fruit
| trees. A few hundred more Japanese,
Filipinos. Porto Ricans and Koreans,
with their families, fiji the plantation
camps, while the remaining part of the
population consists of native Hawaii
ans in considerable number, scattered
! along the coast.
! twenty-five mites west of Hama,
without road connection from either
! direction, is the tremendous cash run
ming from the top of Haleakala to the
sea. known as the Keanae valley This
valley is broad and fertile 1t is the
/ home of probably 200 native Hawaii
ans and few Chinese. For weeks
at time, Keanae Is frequently cut off
| from the. rest of the world through
inability of the inter-island steamers
to land passengers or freight at the
rough landing. ''''.'1 "
A large part of Hama district is
rough and rocky, but the soil is fer
FILE and abundant1y .watered. 1t seems
/ to be especially adapted to fruit of
many kinds, and vegetation generally
| flourishes in a manner not to be seen
in other parts of the island. 1t will
a., probably some day be thickly settled
! with a prosperous population Of much
! Importance to the rest of the island
But this condition will not come with
| out greatly improved transportation
! facilities, and road connections are first
! and most important in this connection.
How Maui Will Profit.
! But looking into the future. there
is every reason TO believe that the Isl
and Of Maui as a whole will profit
from the belt road in a much greater
measures than will districts which will
receive such immediate benefit. In
! the first place it would be the islands
| greatest asset in attracting tourists,
: not excepting even the proposed road
to the top of Haleakala And Maui
has for a good while been enviously
| noting the constantly increasing
stream of transient travel which is
setting to the territory. without thus
far being able to attract any appreci-
able portion of it to her shores In
| spite OF attractions which in many
i ways excel any Of the other islands,
! the tourist does not come. There are
number of reasons for this. the prin-
! cipal one Of which is that it is too diff
fiCult and expensive to visit the most
magnificent scenic points. lao valley
is the one easily accessible beauty
spot. Haleakala calls for considerable
preparation, and an eight-mile horse
} back ride up and down, which is i'm
possible for some and uncomfortable
| for very great many. And the Won
derful ditch country"-the section on
| East Maui through the wonderful Ho-
| nomunu and Keanae valleys and or
to NahIku, the section before referred
) ~ "AlCIl AO" IDS IO IOduS " Hull
is considered by most persons who
have seen it to be more beautiful than
any other place IN the territory, is now
seen by not one tourist in a thousand
! In fact it has been seen by compare
| lively few residents, not only of the
| islands, but Of Maui as well. Special
arrangement must now be made be-
! fore one can make the trip at present.
! Horses must be obtained from private
firms through favor. There is no no.
| tel at Hama where one may Obta; n
meals. although there is nov a we'll
kept and comfortable rCOming house