53 
lying  about  five  miles  above  the  government  road  at  Honokaa, 
District  of  Hamakua,  Island  of  Hawaii,  he  must  erect  a small 
house  for  himself  and  family  from  lumber  purchased  in  Hilo  or 
Honolulu.  Hilo  is  sixty  miles  distant  by  land  and  Honolulu  twice 
that  distance  by  water.  The  cost  of  rough  pine  lumber  ranges 
from  $30.00  to  $35.00  per  thousand  in  the  lumber  yard.  The 
Hilo  price  is  slightly  under  that  of  Honolulu.  The  cost  of  trans- 
portation lumber  from  Honolulu  is  as  follows : 
• 
Freight  by  boat  from  Honolulu  to  Honokaa  landing,  per 
thousand  $ 6.00 
Landing  charge  paid  to  owner  of  private  landing,  per  thou- 
sand   3.50 
Hauling  to  government  road,  per  thousand 5.00 
Hauling  from  government  road  to  homestead,  per  thou- 
sand   8.00 
Total  cost  of  transportation $20.50 
The  cost  of  transporting  the  same  lumber  from  Hilo,  over-land, 
amounts  to-  about  double  the  total  given  above.  The  cost  of  lum- 
ber delivered  upon  the  home.stead  is  over  fifty  dollars  per  thou- 
sand. 
Rates  on  all  feed  stuffs  and  other  supplies,  as  well  as  the  prod- 
ucts grown  upon  the  land,  are  correspondingly  large. 
In  the  particular  locality  referred  to  there  is  a railroad  already 
projected,  with  franchise,  surveys,  and  everything  complete  and 
ready  for  construction.  When  built  such  a railroad  will  com- 
pletely solve  the  transportation  problem  for  the  district  which  it 
traverses,  giving  to  the  adjoining  land  owners  cheap  and  rapid 
connection  with  the  principal  harbor  town  of  this  island.  These 
roads  must  be  financed  on  the  mainland  where  a reasonable  guar- 
antee of  the  payment  of  bonds  is  required.  To  meet  this  situation 
I recommend : 
First.  That  steps  be  at  once  taken  to  obtain  from  the  Federal 
Government  a guarantee  of  the  payment  of  4%  bonds  of  such 
railroads. 
Second.  Failing  to  obtain  the  guarantee  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment the  Territorial  Legislature  should  be  requested  to  give  a 
similar  guarantee  of  the  Territory  under  an  enabling  act  passed 
by  Congress. 
The  policy  which  I recommend  is  in  acordance  with  that  estab- 
lished by  the  United  States  in  giving  government  aid  to  all  of  the 
pioneer  railroads  and  is  identical  with  the  enactment  of  Congress 
giving  aid  to  railroads  in  the  Philippine  Islands.  (33  Stat.  L. 
690.) 
The  next  problem  is  that  of  homestead  roads.  So  long  as  the 
settler  is  compelled  to  cut  private  trails  through  a tropical  jungle 
and  transport  his  supplies  and  products  with  pack-animals,  just 
