Address delivered at Special Conservation 

 Meeting, November, 1910. 



THE PART PLAYED BY THE FOREST IN 

 CONSERVATION. 



By 



RALPH S. HOSMER, 

 Superintendent of Forestry. 



On November 16, 1910, there was held in'the Throne Room, 

 at the Capitol, Honolulu, under the joint auspices of the Terri- 

 torial Board of Agriculture and Forestry and the Hawaiian 

 Sugar Planters' Association, a Special Conservation Meeting to 

 consider some of the fundamental principles of Conservation in 

 their relation to local needs. 



The address of the Superintendent of Forestry is reprinted 

 here, as it contains some matter not otherwise available. Mr. 

 Hosmer's address was as follows: 



The five cardinal points for which conservation stands are the 

 right use of lands, waters, forests and minerals, and the systematic 

 safeguarding of the public health. Here in Hawaii we are more 

 intimately concerned with conservation than are most communi- 

 ties. With us the very economic life of the islands depends on 

 the wise use of waters, lands and forests. While standing as 

 we do, the western outpost of our nation, this community has 

 placed upon it responsibilities in matters affecting the public 

 health that require a large measure both of zeal and discretion. 



My share on this program is to speak of the part that the for- 

 est has to play in Hawaii and to point out certain things that 

 must be done, if our local forests are to be made to render their 

 full service to the people of this Territory. 



The forest situation in Hawaii is familiar to most of those in 

 this audience. But let me briefly review the salient points. Ha- 

 waii is essentially an agricultural community, largely dependent 

 upon irrigation. Under our local conditions of sharply diversi- 

 fied climate, of varied topography and of the need the more pro- 

 nounced because of our limited areas of putting to its highest 

 use every acre of our arable land, it is essential that provision be 

 made for the wise utilization of every drop of water that can be 

 made to do duty be it used for irrigation, for domestic supply, 

 for fluming cane or for power development. 



