238 



inter-island steamers without a search warrant. It has been 

 previously mentioned that all such inspection must, as a result, be 

 perfunctory. Many of the districts have contributed financially 

 and otherwise with a view to employing inspectors^ for their spe- 

 cial sections of territory, but not to a sufficient extent to ensure 

 the appointment of special men for the important work required. 

 Even at this moment the district of Hilo has practically thrown 

 up its hands and the inspection work at its main port is not now 

 being" carried out as efficiently as it should be because of the al- 

 leged impossibility of controlling the thoroughfares leading into 

 that district from Hamakua, where the pest has already been ad- 

 mitted by means of either the Kohala belt road or through one of 

 the Hamakua ports. It is, therefore, quite natural to suppose that 

 in a very short time the fruit fly will be found throughout Hilo 

 and it will then only be a matter of a few months before it passes 

 through Puna into the Kau district. The last named section is 

 well guarded on the Hilo side by a locked gate on the belt road 

 at Kapapala, but the Kona side, I am informed, is not so well 

 cared for and as Kona is infested throughout, it will be an easy 

 matter unless the greatest care is taken, for the pest to pass into 

 Kau by means of infested fruit on the person or in the baggage 

 of any passengers entering the latter section by that end of the 

 belt road. The same arguments apply to the landings of Puna- 

 luu and Honuapo, in Kau, which are the calling ports of steami- 

 ers bringing freight and passengers from other infested islands 

 or districts. In my opinion the only successful inter-island in- 

 spection and method of control on the adjacent islands would 

 haVe been such as Federal officers would have been most likely to 

 pursue under U. S. laws. It is well admitted that officers of the 

 Federal government, backed by a sufficiently large appropriation, 

 can better handle the traveling public and the inspection of their 

 baggage, as well as that of general freight, at ports of disem- 

 barkation in this insular territory than can the territorial or 

 county officials. The Federal officer will take but little notice of 

 inconvenience or delays occurring because of any necessary in- 

 spection he has to perform in his line of duty and furthermore he 

 is not so subject to influence and unjust criticism as our insular 

 officials. 



The latest information from Dr. Silvestri is that he is now well 

 on his way to the section of Africa where he hopes to meet with a 

 measure of success in his search for an efl'ectivt' parasite on the 

 Mediterranean fruit fly and Cotton Boll worm. .Arrangements 

 were made through Governor Frcar and the Stale Department at 

 AN'asJiington so that Dr. Silvestri might receive credentials from 

 and the backing of the several Iuir()])ean nations in control of 

 sections of the African continent where the ex])lorcr is liable to 

 meet with difficulties of one kind or anotlicr unless armed with 

 the pro])er official authority. 



I'or reasons previously eN])laiiu(l, it lias become necessary to- 



