334 

 WHAT FOREST RESERVES MEAN,. 



Popular opinion in Hawaii largely conceives of a forest 

 reserve, as an area which is locked up and removed from 

 profitable enterprise. 



As a matter of fact, in the case of water-producing forest, 

 it is a devoting of the land to the production of that which is 

 of the most value to the people of the Territory, viz : water. 



In the case of non-water producing forest, it means, not 

 locking up from profitable use, but protecting the forest from 

 destructive agencies, so that it can be made profitable, which 

 now it is not, and, with a few exceptions, never has been ; and, 

 unless the methods of lumbering and reproduction evolved by 

 study in Europe and the United States are applied here, never 

 will be. 



In other words, the most valuable crop which can be pro- 

 duced in a water bearing forest, is water. The most valuable 

 crop which can be produced in a non-water producing forest, 

 is timber. Whatever will most effectively accomplish these 

 results in the respective cases, is in the public, as well as 

 private interest, and should be done. 



THE MAHOGANY LUMBER COMPANY. 



(3). THIS NATURALLY BRINGS US TO THE CON- 

 SIDERATION OE THE EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS 

 NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN, BY THE HAWAIIAN 

 MAHOGANY LUMBER COMPANY. 



The proposition that Hawaii possesses forests which can 

 produce railroad ties by the million, has come as an intense 

 surprise to all but a very few in Hawaii. 



The fact that ties can be produced and exported at a profit 

 has come as a surprise to everyone. The only possible ex- 

 planation thereof is the practical lumber famine which is now 

 upon the United States and so graphically described in the 

 official reports above quoted from. This shortage has for 

 the first time made it possible to bring home to the people 

 of Hawaii, in cold dollars and cents, that forest production 

 and lumbering can be made an important industry in this Ter- 

 ritory. 



The fact that nearly three million standard railroad ties 

 are to be exported from the Territory within the next five 

 years has produced much solicitude and adverse comment 

 among those who have not studied the question. Within the 

 past month I have repeatedly heard the statement made that 

 this contract was a bad thing for the Territory as it would not 

 only denude the forest but exhaust the entire local supply of 

 timber. 



