Palolo Land & Improvement Co. v. Wong Quai

15 Haw. 554
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedApril 16, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 15 Haw. 554 (Palolo Land & Improvement Co. v. Wong Quai) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Palolo Land & Improvement Co. v. Wong Quai, 15 Haw. 554 (haw 1903).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE' COURT BY

PERRY, J.

This is a proceeding brought in the early part of 1902 before-the Commissioner for the settlement of water rights in Palolo Valley, Oahu. I-t involves the rights of all the wet lands in that valley. The hearing before the Commissioner occupied parts of [556]*556twenty-five days, thirty-seven witnesses being examined, the transcript of whose testimony covers 828 typewritten pages. In •addition to this, the notes of the evidence taken in three former suits concerning some of these same rights were introduced and admitted as evidence in this case. The Commissioner filed her decision on November 20, 1902, and a supplement thereto on December 6, 1902. From that decision certain of the defendants appealed to this court.

The Commissioner seems to have met with much difficulty in ■ascertaining what the ancient rights were and how far they had been modified by adverse user in later years and in finding a method for the enforcement of those rights and finally concluded that “the matter is left entirely in the hands of the Commissioner to make a distribution in as equitable a manner as possible, with a due regard to undoubted ancient rights wherever proved, and also with a view of protecting capital invested in industries tending to the welfare and prosperity of the community.” If by this was meant that the distribution was to be in conformity with vested rights and otherwise just and equitable, the rule laid down was correct. That is what the statute (C.L., Sec. 1823) and justice require. If anything less than that was intended, the theory of the decision was incorrect. In either event, it becomes our duty to determine whether the specific adjudications made by the Commissioner should, upon the law and the evidence, be sustained, reversed or modified.

Those adjudications are as follows:

“First. I adjudge one half of the water at the present Dam 1 (called Mahoe on the map) to Wailupe (auwai) the present continuation of said Wailupe to Dam 1 to remain.
“Dam 4 to be discontinued, but the auwai formerly leading from said Dam 4 to be kept open immediately below position of dam, to take whatever seepage should drain from waters of Mahoe and Kolihana kuleanas that would flow naturally -that way, and carry the same to junction with present Wailupe auwai. This auwai though must not take any w'ater directly from the stream.
“Wailupe ditch to irrigate first Mahoe, Kolihana and two-[557]*557acre piece marked P on tbe map, tben such of lower Kalaepo-haku as is now cultivated, Kahuaina and Keaweolono, then Ka-ululoa apaña two, Kepuhi, AVailupe and its kuleanas, Kaauwae-loa 1 and 2, and lastly Kapahulu and its kuleanas formerly entitled to water.
“At the boundary stone wall between Kaauwaeloa and Kapa-hulu water should be so divided that only what is necessary to-irrigate the three acres of AYong You Kee Co. be allowed to run to it, the rest of the residue of AVailupe water, say one half, to-be turned on to Kapahulu to be impartially divided between lois formerly entitled to it.
“Kapahulu is to have the right to dig a trench below the three acre land of AVong You Kee Co. and take whatever surplus, water or drainage is found thereon to Kapahulu-loko-pa or land that formerly had a water right.
“Dam 2 known as Kahamano to take one half of water found in Pukele stream at that point. The water of this auwai irrigates mostly land of Kaulu, in AYaiomao and kuleanas therein, ^surplus and drainage flowing naturally into AVaiomao stream.
“Dam 3 for Auwai-o-ITumu to take one half the water of Pu-kele stream at that point which should be increased by seepage-from Mahoe kuleana and the upper stretch of Kahamanoauwai. The waters of Humu are to be used to irrigate all kuleanas and lands having water rights in it above the reservoir, and as the most of the lands entitled to such water belong to the Palolo Land and Improvement Co. they may continue to take surplus, water into said reservoir, providing the lands above get all the water necessary for the healthy growth of their crops.
“Dam 4 to be done away with.
“Dam 5 for auwai of Piilani to take one half the water of stream at dam.
“Dam 6 for Auwai-o-Kapuhi to take one half the water of stream at that point. AVater of said auwai to irrigate land of Kukeanuenue and lower Kepuhi and AVailupe. Flume crossing stream to be taken away.
“Dam 7 to be rebuilt and water of same taken to lower part of Kukeanuenue, lower Kepuhi and AVailupe. To take one half water of stream at dam.
“Dams of Kukekia and Hapuna to be rebuilt and to take one half water of stream at each dam. AVater is for lower Kaauwae-loa and Kapahulu.
“Laauli, Dam 9, to take all the balance of water in the stream [558]*558for Kapahulu, as there is no cultivation below Kapahulu-loko-Pa.
“On Waiomao stream, Dams A and B, also kuleana Opunui, .apaña two, may take all the water they want as they must flow back into stream afterwards, there being no other outlet.
“Dam C for auwai of Kaulu irrigating land of Kaulu in Waio-,mao to take one half of water of stream at dam. All drainage from land watered by this 'auwai falling back into stream above Dam D, Kaneohuku.
“Dam D, Kaneohuku, irrigating Kekio and its kuleanas, to take two thirds of the water of Waiomao stream at that point.
“Dam 8 for Keaunaia auwai, irrigating land of Keaunaia, a part of Kekio, and kuleanas in Kekio bordering on main stream to be moved further up from present location onto the Waiomao stream at a point just before its junction with Pukele stream and where it cannot take up water flowing through Pukele stream. Dam 8 to take up balance of water in Waiomao stream with all seepage and drainage falling naturally into that stream above junction with Pukele.
“Waters of Kaneohuku and Keaunaia auwais to be used on ancient cultivated land of Kekio and its kuleanas with water rights first, and only surplus water can be used on the newly cultivated land called Pukakohekohe, the twenty-four acres former kula land.
“All kuleanas to have all needed water, and drainage from them must be into adjoining land, or back into stream.
“Water of seepage and springs in hlahoe and Kolihana kule-anas adjudged to Wailupe ditch in second paragraph of first section is hereby more definitely defined as all water flowing or sfeeping from all the makai side of a large bank running from the present Waialae corner of the large Mahoe loi (and now enclosed by a barb wire fence) to the Pukele stream. Said embankment meeting at a point a little above or mauka of Humu dam.
“This embankment is also the old trail leading from the mau-ka Plonolulu side of Palolo Valley to the Waiomao side of Pu-kele stream.
“Parties interested are requested to take immediate steps for the proper identification and establishing of permanent marks or monuments defining boundaries of seepage waters referred "to in above paragraph, to the end that as many interested parties [559]

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Bluebook (online)
15 Haw. 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/palolo-land-improvement-co-v-wong-quai-haw-1903.