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THE DAILY BULLETIN SUMMARY: IIONOLULU, H. I., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1880;
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ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAILY BULLETIN.
This Issue of the Daily Bulletih
begins its llfth year nn'd ninth
volume. With n severe tax upon
our mechanical rcsouiccs to over
take sundry very important local
events, it is impossible for us to say
nil that would be appropriate for an
address to our rend era on this
auspicious occasion. From a very
small beginning this paper lias
grown to its present respectable
form and become well-rooted in
popular esteem. It iias outlived the
opposition of rivals bached by joint
stock corporations, which piesutncd
upon the favorable leception ac
corded this tiie pioneer daily journal
to go in for, at least, a division of
the very limited field. The success
of the Daily Bulletin is now an es
tablished fact. It has n larger cir
culation than many people would
readily believe obtainable for one of
three daily papers in such a limited
English reading constituency.
About two hundred subscriber
have been added to the list since
our last anniversary, and still they
.come. The advertising patronage is
growing, having entirely exceeded
our anticipations the past year.
Withal, evidences that this journal
continues to lie emphatically the
paper of the people aic abundant.
We shall let our endeavors in the
past, with their results, be the
pledge of the future exertions to
retain the gratifying measure of
public confidence and esteem that
the Daily Bulletin has been
granted, and to still further merit
the kindly regard and support of
the community. Eeb. 1st.
IRRIGATION.
Artificial irrigation is one of the
matters receiving most earnest
attention in Victoria, Australia, at
the present time. Recently a dele
gation from the Victoiian Irrigation
Convention waited upon Mr. Ser
vice, the Premier of the Colony,
and asked him to proceed with the
erection of a weir and canals, which
would water something over a
million of acres comprised in three
adjoining localities. It was pro
posed that " the State should pro
vide the necessary capital, and that
interest should be levied in a pro
gressive manner, beginning at a
nominal rate, and increasing as the
works developed, until the early
arrears could be paid off and a
sinking fund established." Mr.
Service, in replying to the deputa
tion, expressed thorough apprecia
tion of the importance of the work
of irrigation and water conservation,
and said that, although nothing
could be done this session, the Gov
ernment proposed to make a bill
for those works their principal
measure in the next parliament.
An anonymous contributor in the
Australasian ably discusses the
feasibility of irrigating the province
of Riverina. His arguments to
show the immense importance of
bestowing water upon a dry but
fertile soil, also many of the points
he establishes as to the practicabi
lity of conferring that boon upon
bis own country, are closely appli
cable to the case of these Islands.
When he laments the wealth running
in waste from the mountains to the
sea, our people have equal grounds
for joining in his complaint. His
demonstration of the feasibility of
inigation works on the streams and
mountain gorges of Riverina can be
paralleled, we are assured, by the
promoters of the Oaliu colonization
scheme in respect to the lands they
have placed in the market. To
show that water conservation is pos
sible, where the conditions arc
present, without costing more than
it is worth, this writer adduces the
case of a reservoir just completed
in Tasmania at a cost of 8-lii,.r00,
the cost of storage being only 85.02
per million gallons. He cites
another Tasmanian instance, where,
by the co-operation of a few land
proprietors, water storage has sup
plied a large area with irrigation
for half a century. Applying tlicso
and similar examples to the caso of
Ills own country, he says, "If by
the construction of such works on
the Riverine streams a moderate
portion of the province could be
partially irrigated, the benefit
derived by tiie country would bo so
great that all the gold ever dug
from Australian mines would be in
significant in compaiison." Refer
ring to the means to be adopted, ho
concludes that, "however per
formed, there is no doubt the opera
tion would bo a financial success, as
all such works have ever proved
where water is supplied to n feitile
soil in a warm climate." Great
stress is laid upon the vastly superior
advantage of agricultural as coin
pared with merely pastoral com
munities as the environment of
towns. Old-established towns are
mentioned which, surrounded by
sparsely populated pastoral lands,
are half-dead and altogether dreary,
while infant towns, in the center of
well-peopled agricultuial districts,
are nourishing and making rapid
progress. This testimony should be
thoughtfully considered and remem
bered by the capitalists of Honolulu.
It affords support to the arguments
this journal has put forward, from
time to time, in advocating the
supreme importance to the city and
the kingdom of having all available
and rcclaimable lands on this island
and the group settled with an in
dustrious population. Artificial irri
gation is pronounced, by persons
who have investigated the matter
with a practical object, to be feasible
on this island for bringing huge
tiacts of fertile land under cultiva
tion. While theic is not the slight
est prospect of the state being nblc,
within any near period, to provide
a loan for that purpose, as the Gov
ernment of Victoria promises to do
for its people, we believe that there
are men in this city possessed of in
fluence and means sufficient to en
sure the success of the scheme set
on foot by a few of their enterpris
ing fellow-citizens. It is their duty,
and we consider it would be to
their great advantage, to closely
examine this great project, instead
of averting their faces therefrom,
and dismissing it from their minds
without investigation as a mere
speculative land deal. In view of
the country's present dependence
upon the comparatively small portion
of the land under sugar cultivation,
and of the fact that some of the
most profitable areas have been
made cultivable by artificial irri
gation, it is surely incumbent
upon our capitalists to ascer
tain the practicability of reclaim
ing other tracts by the same means
and thus adding to the country's re
sources. In California the system
has been tested with most satisfac
tory results, and is being vigorously
extended over large areas that, too,
while vast regions of virgin soil
watered by nature arc still unoccu
pied in the nation's domain. A des
patch from Merced in that State,
dated Jan. 8th, says the great enter
prise at that place is the Merced
irrigating canal, upon which
work is being pushed day and night
so as to have it completed ready to
let the water through in April. As
we have seen, the Australian Colo
nies are not afraid to incur heavy
state obligations in providing their
people with the same means of land
reclamation. In view of these ex
amples, it can only be regarded as
culpable negligence on the part of
those having a stake in these Islands,
with means to invest in the develop
ment of their resources, or influence
to attract capital hither, if they do
not avail themselves of the oppor
tunities presented, to at least ex
amine the details of a project that
promises largo benefits to the king
dom and its capital by the leclama
tion of extensive tracts, and tho
settlement of those, together with
lands alieady fit for cultivation, witli
a population of independent pro
ducers. GOVERNMENT AID TO THE COLONIZA
TION SCHEME.
A correspondent suggests that the
Government should loan the Colo
nization Company the required
million of capital to secure tho con
summation of their project. Rather
than have tho scheme come to the
ground wc should strenuously advo
cate this suggestion. There are,
however, some advantages to bo ex
pected 'from having the undei taking
carried out purely as a private en
terprise, which should cause appli
cation for Government assistance to
be adopted only as a last lcsort.
Capital placed at the disposal of the
immediate promoter's of the scheme
by tho state would tend to perpc
tuato the apathy of other local capi
talists, whoso holding aloof at pre
sent is one of the chief elements of
dishcarteniiieut which confronts the
provisional directorate. Without
general local sympathy, which would
be nssuied by the enlistment or"
diicct, individual locnl interest, it
might be much mote difficult than
otherwise to cairy out the objects
of the Company after the capital
was provided. Then, if the capital
was obtained purely on the national
credit in the foreign market, tho
scheme would lose the advantage
anticipated for it from having for
eign capitalists take It up on Its in
trinsic merits, as affording n pro
fitable field for investment. Foreign
capitalists who put money into the
enterprise would be likely to take
an active interest in seeing that it
did not fail for lack of colonists to
occupy 'the land, if such were not
already in the country. They might
also reasonably be expected to bring
to the scheme the benefits of expe
rience in other countries, with re
gard to different agricultural pro
ducts, irrigation, and so forth. It
would, moreover, be to their interest
to promote trade with these islands
in their respective countries, so that
they should really be Hawaiian
commercial agents abroad, who
would doubtless be able to give us
valuable points as to available
markets for our present staples as
well as other pioducts of which
these islands are capable. At all
events, it is to be hoped that there
will be no delay made in the prose
cution of the enterprise to await
Government assistance. That would
involve the loss of valuable time,
and the amount of interest already
awakened in the scheme outside of
the kingdom bids us hope that it
will also be unnecessary. At the
same time, so much importance do
we attach to colonization and agri
cultural development, we "believe
that the Government would be cen
surable if it allowed the colonization
movement, that has acquired such a
gratifying amount of headway, to
fail for want of any support that is
within its power to bestow to the
present or any other valid scheme.
THE COVERNMENT VICTORY.
So far as the capital of the king
dom and this island are concerned,
and assuming that the voting system
and election methods in vogue here
permit of a free expression of the
popular will, the elections yesterday
resulted in a signal victory for the
Government. While awaiting the
returns from the other islands it
would be premature to discuss the
probable consequences of a verdict
coinciding witli that rendered by
Honolulu and Oaliu. A comment on
the struggle in this district will, how
ever, be proper. The bearers of the
two leading names running on the
Independent side have no reason to
feel humiliated by their defeat. Com
ing late into the field, .having the
conscripted vote of the entire native
militia to overcome, and having to
rely almost wholly upon their indivi
dual exertions m the brief campaign,
they confronted an enemy formida
ble enough, as its strengtli was exhi
bited in the open, to appall hearts of
no ordinary stoutness. But when,
in addition to the circumstances men
tioned, the standard-bearers of re
form had pitted against them methods
more unscrupulous and unfair than
would void an election in any country
possessing the most ordinary safe
guards of electoral freedom and in
dependence, the vote polled by Mr,
Carter and by Mr. Waterhouse really
amounts to a victory. At least they
may bear their reverse more proudly,
although with the sad consciousness
that with them was repulsed most of
the independence and untrammclcd
intelligence of the constituency, than
their opponents can wear the plumes
of such a victory as theirs won by
debasing the electorate susceptible
to vile influences; by the coercion
of all tho voter's within tho power
of the Government; by a fraudulent
franchise conferred, in somo cases
at the polling booth, upou persons
who had no legal right to the ballot,
and by defrauding others, who wcro
qualified to voto, of their sacred pri
vilege. If the whole kingdom gives
an independent Legislature, tlicso
means of obtaining an unjust vcr
diet will stand a chance of being
proven against the Government pnrty
in Honolulu, and tho men who were
announced at the head of tho polls
last night will have to relinquish
their ill-gotten horrors. Having said
thus much concerning what tho In
dependents had to face from with
out, it would bo appropriate to dis
cuss causes contributing to defeat
within tho camp, but this we leave
until space can be afforded for doing
the subject n mcasuie of justice in
keeping with its importance.
THE COVERNMENT SUSTAINED.
The elections have given the Gov
ernment a majority of eight votes
in the House of Representatives,
which, with even or almost oven
sides in the House of Nobles, and
the votes of the Ministers them
selves, will make them strong enough
in the next Legislative Assembly
for any purpose. As the Govern
ment supporters returned arc nbout
all office-holders, there can be no
doubt of their capacity for swallow
ing any measure prescribed to them
by the Ministry. There is, however,
some hope for the country in the
consideration that the Ministry may
not be obliged to support every
hobby and injurious measure that
their dependent, irrational and re
actionary followers may drag to the
front. For it would be uncandid
not to admit that the votes of the
Ministers last session saved the
country from some very retrograde
legislation, such as the bill to have
the sale of opium legalized. They
would have been entitled to the
benefit of this admission in the late
campaign had they not failed to
suppress, or at least protest against,
the utterances of their recognized
spokesmen in favor of a licensed
opium traffic. Now that the Minis
try has been given ample power in
the Legislature, it only remains for
the friends arrd advocates of good
government to appeal to their reason
and their patriotism, upon the matter
just mentioned and everything else
that ma become a subject of legis
lation. The verdict of the people
leaving out of siglrt how it may have
been obtained makes tire Govern
ment's past record a closed' volume,
except with regard to the Ministers'
stewardship for the closing biennial
period, which will properly come up
for adjudication before the Legisla
ture and the public at next session.
During the past campaign wc have
supported the Independent candi
dates, because the performances
and the promises of the Ministry
and their supporteis presented them
selves to us as inimical to the differ
ent interests of the Kingdom ; be
cause we believed tlrat an independ
ent Legislatinc would be the strongest
bulwark of national independence
and the surest guarantee of progress
and prosperity, and because the
men put forward as cairdidates by
the Government party were all but
universally unfit representatives of
the society, the commerce, the in
dustry and the wealth that give
Hawaii n respectable position in the
family of nations. Events, how
ever, show that the electorate have
legarded matters in a different light.
While, therefore, we bow to their
decision and shall henceforth address
ourselves, in discussing the adminis
tration, mainly to the policy of the
Ministry as it may bo unrolled, we
must say tlrat the new House of Re
presentatives is a great disappoint
ment to our estimate of the intelli
gence and independence of the
electors of this kingdom. Let us
hope that there is a lingering instinct
of self-preservation in the breasts of
the ruling majority, which, together
with the power of a very able minor
ity, and tho influence of an enlight
ened public opinion and an inde
pendent press, will save the country
from at least some of the retrograde
and ruinous measures that the Gov
ernment campaign has given reasoir
to apprehend would be the outcome
of that party's triumph. Although,
however, accepting the defeat of the
cause of independence, we cannot
acknowledge that the fight has been
a fair one. Not only did the Gov
ernment party exhaust every means
of a position unparalleled in consti
tutional systems for giving advan
tage to thoso in power, but it availed
itself of the most dishonest, corrupt
and demoralizing methods of forcing
a decision in its favor. It will be
many decades, if ever, before the
Hawaiian race will recover from the
damage inflicted upon it, through
tho influences exerted upou tiio
native electors In the late contest, to
secure their votes for the mainten
ance of tho present administration.
ASTRO-METEOROLOGY.
Nobody who has been reading the
Eastern American papers need bo
told who Vennor was. Tire name
became proverbial a few years ago
as that of a weather prophet who
rose in Canada. Henry G. Vennor,
as a member of the Dominion Geolo
gical Survey, had largely an outdoor
life, that he turned to good account
in closely obscivlng and faithfully
recording meteorological phenomena.
With the data thus obtained, cover
ing n largo range of years, ho was
able, on the theory of weather cy
cles, to make weather forecasts that
turned out so accurate as to be a
marvel to tho people of all Noith
America. Beginning witli the news
papers, Mr. Vennor ultimately started
nn nlmaiiao as the vehicle of his
weather lore, which sold hi immense
editions in the United States and
Canada. He died in June, 188-1,
but for some time before his death
Ire had a coadjutor in his scientific
labors in the same line, who con
ducted a sort of astro-meteorological
department both in the nlmanac and
'in a monthly weather journal sup
plementary thereto. Upon this fellow-laborer
the mantle of the lamented
wcatlrcr seer fell. The new prophet
is Mr. Waller II. Smith, who will be
remembered by readers of this paper
as having been in controversy with
Rev. Sereno E. Bishop, on the sub
ject of "Ruddy Sunsets," a short
while ago. Last year Mr. Smith
issued the annual under its old name
of "Vcnnor's Almanac," and with
tire prophetic parts as bold and,
events have proved, as accurate as
ever. This year the publication lias
come to hand under the new title
of, "Smith's Planetary Almanac
and Weather Guide, 1880." It
contaius "a forecast of the weather
for eacii week, calculated by the
most approved and rcliablcmcthods,"
and a treatise on, "Lunar Influence
on Vegetation, witli tables for sowing
according to it in all latitudes;
copious astronomical and meteorolo
gical notes, etc., etc." Mr. Smith
is President of the Astro-Meteorological
Association, that has branches
tin oughout the Eastern and Southern
States, and is an enthusiastic star
gazer as well as meteorologist. He
is a writer of very creditable verse,
as well as a competent journalist in
general newspaper work, his last
year's almanac abounding in well
written pieces of poetry. What we
desire to call special attention to, in
this brief review of tho Almanac in
question, is the theory of lunar in
fluence on vegetation. The influence
of the moon on plant grow th is an
old idea, but in modern times it has
been largely relegated to the tomes
of ancient superstition. Mr. Smith
has, however, after experimenting
at the suggestion of a scientific
friend, brought forth tho theory
anew, rehabilitating it witlr scientific
reason and propagating it over a
wide range through his almanacs and
many American and Canadian papers.
The inlluencc of the sun upon vege
tation he regards as a universally
known fact, but he believes the moon
has her share of sway over vegetable
as well as animal life, asking, in last
year's Almanac, "Is it easy for the
moon to raise the surface of the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and
hard for her to stir the juices of a
plant?" The theory Is In brief
something like this: Seeds should
bo sown when tho moon is on the
increase, and in the zodiacal signs
Taurus, Cancer, Libra and Pisces.
Why these signs are better than
others is owing to tho proximity of
stars in them, as matter attracts in
regular ratios. The increase rather
than the decrease of the moon is
chosen as the "time to plant," be
cause in the increasing period tho
moon, "by her continuing above
the horizon immediately after the
sun has set, prevents the rapid
change from heat to cold, and moist
to dry, so injurious to young plants,
retaining the moisture at the sur
face." However much or little sense
there may bo in this, there is cer
tainly no superstition. At nil events,
Mr. Smith lias reason to be highly
gratified at the testimony lie has re
ceived of the value of tho theory
when reduced to practice. Although
it was only four years or so ago that
ho began experimenting in Iris own
garden, Ire has already been tho re
cipient of numberless letters from
scientific men and agriculturists ail
over the Union and the Dominion,
telling of vunorkftbly successful re
sults of experimentation according
to the directions given by him. In
somo cases tho application of tho
theory made all tho difference be
tween unusually good ci ops and total
failures, side by side, with every
thing elso equal. While so much
expense is being incurred in these
Islands to arrive at the most econo
mical production of sugar possible,
it might be well woith while to solicit
the nids of nature's laws as digested
in the theory of "lunar influence on
vegctntion." It will cost nothing,
and may yield " millions." The
lowestlatitudefor which the Almanac
gives spcciflo directions for tills
year's planting is 35 north. If these
do not suit, our local astronomers
can doubtless afford precise calcula
tions in accordance with the above
statement of tho theory. For Feb
ruary and March wc copy the direc
tions from the Almanac :
Fkiikuahy. The 5th and (ith from
7.50 to 'J.O.') u. in. ; 10.2.') to 11.50 a.
in. and 1.50 to -1.00 p. in. arc good.
For roots, take the 10th, 11th and
12th from 7.20 to 8.35 a. in. Other
things, the 10th and 11th from 0.55
to 11.20 a. in., and 1.20 to 3.110 p. in.
Root ei ops and early potatoes should
bo sown on the 15th and Kith be
tween 7.10 and 8.25 u. in. and 9.15
and 10.10 a. in. Thing requiting
top giowth should he put in on the
15th, between 12.10 noon and 2.20
p. in.
Maicch. Tho first favorable date
this month in tho Oth, from Jl.50 n.
in. to 2.00 p. m. for grain and vege
tables, the canio bourn are suitnblo
on the 10th and 11th. For loot
crops, bow between 8.10 and 9.35 a.
m. on the 10th and 11th. Tho 15th
has the Moon in Cancer, and root
crops should be put in from 5.20 to
0.35 ii. m. and 7.55 to 9.20 a. in.
Corn, wheat, other grain and vege
tables, 11.20 a. in. to 1.30 p. m. Tho
20th is a splendid date for root crops
and tho like, between the hours of
5.00 and 0.10 a. m. ; 7.30 and 9.00 a.
in., and 11.15 to 1.20 p. in.
The Almanac may
be ordered
through Messrs. J. M. Oat, Jr.,
Co., at 15 cents a copy.
&
EXTRADITION TREATIES.
Washington, Jan. 5th. In the
Senate to-day a resolution was offered
by Mr. Hoar, as his request referred
to the Committee on Foreign Rela
tions, requesting the President to
take measures for revising and ex
tending our extradition treaties so
as to cover cases of embezzlement
and other breaches of trust. In
offering his resolution Mr. Hoar
made special reference to the num
ber of defaulting bank officers who
tried to escape punishment by flight
to Canada.
As communications have been
passing between the United States
and Canada on the subject, the
above despatch looks as if it had
been concluded that nn end should
be put to the anomaly of friendly
neighboring nations giving safe re
fuge to eacii other's known rascals.
Now is a good opportunity for our
Minister of Foreign Affairs to in
struct the Hawaiian Minister at
Washington thatthls kingdom desires
to be included in the proposed ex
tension of extradition treaties. This
country has been gaining a bad re
putation on the Coast lately on
account of the dishonest refugees
from thenco who arc harbored here.
CABLE COMMUNICATION.
Mr. C. R. Buckland, Agent for the
Now Zealand Government in San
Francisco, said to an Alta reporter
that he expected tlrat Sir Alexander
Stewart would arrive in San Fran
cisco on the next Australian steamer,
and would there meet n gentleman,
"to complete nrrangeinents for tho
establishment of a cable system via
New Zealand, the Phamix Group
and the Hawaiian Islands, to San
Francisco, which would connect all
the Colonies by telegraph except
South Australia, which Iras its
special line via Torres to Singapore,
and so on to Europe. The Govern
ment has already promised to con
tribute a certain subsidy to the new
lino. It is understood that James
Gordon Bennett has volunteered
them every assistance with his new
cable as soon ns it is in working
order." This Is good news, seem
ingly having something in it. Tho
Hawaiian Minister of Finance is
authorized by a law of tho last
Legislature to contract for pay
ing a subsidy to a cable, to
an amount not exceeding twenty
thousand dollars and for a period
not exceeding fifteen years, upon
conditions satisfactory to tiro King
in Privy Council,
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