Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-04
REPRESENTATION
ISDISCUSSED BY
SUGARPLANTERS
UpIandS Neglected, Says PreSl
dent, Because Owned BY
Government

Nearly every plantation manager
present at the initial session OF the
planters on Monday morning had
something TO say On the subject OF re-
i0Testing after a report from the for
es.ry committee was submitted by
David Forbes. manager CT the Wata'
Eea plantation.
H a. Baldwin told Of the COnser-
vRI:on work on Gaa 1Td said taat
from 5000 70 1860 aCre3 were Icing
planted each yca., but that The or
ests lad suffered IN the past from
depTC 5atuns II C.Ltile. NRtl"e tees
were sub ieUIed 10 i:.sect sticks, H.
bai-
President TenHey declared II be
kuo'sa us ali 70 give pe-IoIs ctnStI-
Graticn 10 his Iussiiun aud Ne al
sEoYId Cue 9esatc in rsfo:tsuEg. ="
pa-tieuIa.ly emphasized that atten-
;Io2 should %e Giytn to the .ef2reAt-
Ing CT the apiLEis which the remarks
O. tee VARIOUS r!aEta:l1L manages
had gEU~n were not EetLt2G Mach at
tentioE because they We're &c { IT,"
extent government Lands owe: %ntcu
plantations Lad no control.
Mr.. Forbes rad complained that
only reCent!y =. lGiSc area containing
timber on tic alUpsS Of Mauna kea
lad been released. and presumably
for cattle gazing. i was then that
MIR. Bishop houy declared that the
planters should camp Oh the trail OF
"a government Iutil Conservation
was assured He said his companies
would be willing to follow whatever
orders were issued 50 far as the 10 or
IS properties represented by {. Brew
or G Co. were concerned.
John Scott stated that he believed
W. II. Shtpman, leaser of the Mauna
Kea land, had fenced off the forest
part. This was after he had told OF
the distress caused by the water
shortage on Hawaii during the
drouth.
r. Renton Hind wanted to know II
anything was being done to secure
the cooperation of the homesteaders
who were usually on land lying be-
tween the plantation lands and the
mauka forests.
According to Kauai, Hawaii and
Maui plantation managers 1t seemed
generally agreed that ironwood made
khe better firewood, although an UNI
dergrowth for water conservation
purposes at the desired elevation was
not secured by the planting Of this
and other woods. 49,.
On the motion OF J. F. c. Hagens 1t
was voted to approve OF the working
plan of the forestry department so
far as practical. 49,.
In part Mr.. Forbes report on the
subject was as follows:
"0ur main industries are solely ag-
ricultural, and in order to~maintain
those, water is essential, and that In
abundance, for both irrigation and
transportation Of our crops. Without
forests We may have water period.
cally; for ! do not claim mo forest,
no water" although do maintain
that more forest greater chances OF
more rain, and an economically well
distributed water supply.
There Is little use our trying to
sidestep the facts that In many Of the
upper reaches Of our islands the ma.
tive forests are slowly but surely be-
Ing denuded, and with Il q diminishing
OF our water supply for industrial pur-
poses, while our requirements are
yearly increasing.
1.-TWO factors are mainly responsible
in bringing about such lessening OF
our forest area on uplands. surround.
ing the sources of streams or drain.
are areas Of tributaries leading to
such streams. First cattle and In
lesser degree insect pests. -
In our native forests, the under
growth consists Of shrubs, tree seed.
iinRs, vines and ferns which form a
natural and complete covering to the
surface, thereby lessening evaporation
OF water, as well as retarding the rapid
flow which otherwise takes pace on
our steep grades from uplands. When
the surface becomes denuded Of its
thick covering, by the inroads of cat
tie. its place is quickly occupied by
Hiio grass. When the latter gets es-I
tablished, there is no further hope of
q tree seeding finding its way to the
suns rays. or IL successful. win soon
get nibbled off as delicacy by the
wandering steer.
Within the past 80 years It becomes
very noticeable on the Island of Ha-
waii that our streams rise more sud.
denly after a few inches of rainfall
around the sources, flow higher and
fall more suddenly than formerly when
dense vegetation covered all Of the
water sources and conserved the flow.
Protection OF such sources, as already
stated, arc OF vital interest to our sugar
crops
"As an association We do not have
the power OF land adjustment or dis.
tribution, but as a body Of business
men we have the right to recommend.
We realize very well that the govern
ment must have revenue to keep state
affairs In order. We also know that
plantation lands and crops are q source
or considerable revenue to the govern
nlent, as long as profitable to cult
Nate, but the writer believes that IL by
certain conditions such lands should
proye TO be commemorative through
lack of water brought about by con-
tinued leasing OF forest lands covering
our water sources and exposed to cattle
depredations, and for paltry rental,
for which purpose such only would be
reasonable. Recommendations to the
government would quickly be forth
coming that all lands on higher eleva-I
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