The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-01-29
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0Oertistr.
SATURDAY. JANUARY %.
OUR LAND POLICY-IMMIGRATION

" $1,000 N'S @-HHANI - a. h1r GLLlEA IL
would be impossible to 90 into any detailed state
ments regarding the benefits to be derived from
an alteration in the existing land policy of the
government; but as it requires no very close OBJ
%servation to mark the narrowness of this policy,
1t also requires but little intelligence to see that
a change to one Of more liberality would be
fraught with incalculable advantage to the coun-
try. Heretofore the policy has been only to lease
the lands belonging 70 government, and that for
short periods, five years being the usual limit.
Occasionally however, leases have been made for
fifteen years, and sales have been made-but the
policy IS altogether in favor Of short leases only.
1t is scarcely necessary to remark, that land
leased for so short a period as five years will not
be improved by the lessee. His object will rather
be to denude it of everything of value during the
continuance Of his term and this process being
repeated from time to time as the land may be
relet, it must forever remain in it's ~unimproyed
state, its fertility decreasing in proportion as it
is used for agriculture, and it's water-supply fall
ing proportionally shorter MS the forests are
stripped from it, until finally it is reduced from
its primitive condition Of fertility to n mere bar
rem, fit only for the scanty Subsistence of browsing
animals. Contrast with this deterioration of
value the benefit to the treasury of the money
which might be obtained from it's sale the neces-
slry increase Of its value by the improving pur-
chaser the annual contribution to the exchequcr
in the shape of taxes the increased product of
the soil, to swell the aggregate of national
wealth the encouragement to industrious settlers
that would thus be afforded and is there not a
suficiency of reasons why we should adopt the
roI;ou &c eoH;n. ;,etooJ ~ Ioos;n. H.
lands? The country is in need of both popula-
ton and capital but with such a shortsighted
land policy as ours we have no encouragement to
expect a commensurate supply of either.
The following extract from a letter from Maka-
wac, (NIaui) written by one who has farmed in
the Western States of America, we think worthy
OF publication in this connection, as showing the
general impression of the shOrt-sightedness of
government which strangers must receive when
here seeking for opportunities to settle:
This, the kuia part of Makawao, is the best land l have
fine, light, warm soil. Corn and potatoes viii be ready TO use
in three months from planting. The land belongs to govern
only rented for a term of not more than five years, at 81 per
s sen p per gi, Snn a1ray each az s9 aIte1nats lo T0 = ! ib sav 90 i is su rive Gni aed
States, it would soon be a source Of profit in the way Of taxes,
fee and ramie will grow there, and many other things that
ought soon to be a source of revenue to the country"
Only 4 small portion of the lands owned by the
government and the crown is at present under
lease, and this mostly to graziers and sugar
planters Many of the lands are leased solely for
the forests they possess, and are denuded in the
most relentless manner during the term of the
lease of all the value they contain, and often re-
vert back to government in q state of desolation
and barrenness.
The policy of holding on to lands originated in
the early days of the government, and was adopt
ed in concession to the feeling Of the chiefs, which
was strongly averse to anything which seemed to
them to SAVIOR of foreign encroachment. This
imagined foothold of the foreigner was regarded
by them with a jealous eye, for they felt in their
ignorance that to sell the soil was to part with
the national independence. Under the circum-
stances, this was perhaps a natural conclusion
but time and increased intelligence should have
long since banished such sentiments as ground
less, and moreover as detrimental to that very in
dependence which the natives were and are SO
anxious to maintain. And now the question
comes, are we to continue to be bound down by
this narrow and detrimental policy, this relic of
semi-barbarous diplomacy, or is a more liberal
spirit hereafter to direct the political economy of
Hawaii nei?
In the first place, an increase of population is
necessary to an increase of the national prosper
ity but the quality and manner of introducing
population may very materially affect for better
or worse our condition. The kind of population
introduced as mere laborers on our plantations,
being placed in circumstances rather adverse to
nature in regard to marital relations and the
other ties of family, beyond the actual money
woI,a Of their sarvioes are rather n barrier than
otherwise to the general welfare. Families of
settlers are wanted, rather than the lone coolies
who only tend to augment the already existing
disparity between the sexes in our population,
and who, with q natural tendency to traffic and
barter are agricuIturists only so long as their first
contracts to labor compel them to be SO. AT the
end of these they become peddlers, artisans and
shop-keepers, pursuits which are already over
crowded. But still, without more inducements
than are now offered, it is useless to entertain
hopes that u better class of population will ever
migrate to our islands. When we consider that
there is land sufficient to maintain more than half
a million of people, where a population OF scarce
fifty thousand exists, there is ample evidence of
the waste of our policy.
The large tracts of crown lands are subject to
still greater restraints, for the policy in regard to
them is a fixture by law,-they cannot be sold
except by an Act of the Legislature. Vastly bet
ter would it be if these lands, a great part of
which are literally wasted as far Us value is con-
cerned, could be surveyed, plotted out into lots
and sold to actual settlers, the government agree
ing in the meantime to assume the annual pay
ment to the crown of a sum equal in amount to
that at present raised from their rental. A poll
cy Of this sort, while it would subtract nothing
rightfuily belongs TO the royal purse, would
be putting into the best of circulation the value
these lands represent.
The national prosperity has for some time been
almost wholly supported by the production OF
n.-.., hit oS tbis intarask IL IN danger of being