The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-08-14

earnest thought, is a generous opening
OF our public lands to settlers, giving
particular attention to the occupancy OF
small holdings. The effect will be to
constantly absorb the laborers vino now
flock from the plantations to the towns,
| and to draw away from the towns GER
tain surplus population not wanted for
the demands of town employment, thus
building up rural population under
| conditions more favorable to the develop
ment of character and individual and
family independence than could posi-
bly, be afforded by town environment.
Such system would also constantly
attract others not in the above-men
toned categorles, but men of some
means, of intelligence, and with fond
ness for agricultural life; to whom the
climate and the soil, with favorable OPP
portunities of acquiring permanent titles
to land, would be sufficient inducements.
some of these would become the men of
influence of their respective communi-
ties.
1t will be conceded that far ming
population under conditions some hing
like these, holding their lands in fee
simple and for cultivation rather than
speculation, would have a healthy in-
t1uence upon the national politics, as it
is conceded everywhere that the massing
OF the larger part of the population in
towns, creates social condition which
is menaclng to the public welfare; and
this healthy influence would be some
what in the ratio of the proportion of
such population to that of the towns
The answer will be made by some, that
admitting all this to be true, there are
not sufficient lands in the Hawaiian ISL /
ands for the carrying out of such
policy.
Our public domain consists of 862, 900
acres of Government land and SIC, 900
acres of Crown land, of which approx
mately 4 per cent. is cane and arabic
land, per cent. coffee and fruit land and /
As per cent. good pasture; the balance of
27 per cent. may be classed as poor
grazing and waste land. This gives at
very low estimates 10000 acres of cane
land, $4,000 acres of coffee land and |
100000 acres of good pasture land. A
large proportion of this pasture land is
suitable for farming, needing only fenc-
ing in some localities, and in others |
fencing and irrigation. Estimating this |
proportion at one-twentietho of the whole, |
we have an aggregate of 150, 900 acres of |
agricultural land in the public domain, |
of which some 1000 acres have been laid |
out as holdings under the Homestead |
law. A large portion of the balance Is
leased in large parcels. This area of |
100000 acres, more or less, probably |
more, is suitable for the carrying out of /
such land policy as is outlined above.
Of course such policy, which would |
gradually destroy the opportunity of OBJ |
tanning lands in large parcels. both by |
way of lease and grant, would meet with |
opposition from the class who hold and |
desire to hold large areas of land for graz
ing and speculative purposes. 1t would |
also, in all probability, be opposed by |
the sovereign. A policy of this charac-
ter could however hardly fail of becom-
ing popular and of receiving the hearty |
support of the ma ority of the voters.
Besides these lands which / have |
classed as public domain, there is a
large area owned by private individuals |
and corporations, which includes much |
of the best lands of the kingdom. A |
considerable part of these private |
estates, including great deal of soil |
suitable for farming, is held merely as |
grazing and forest lands or as wild land |
for speculative purposes. Much of this |
would undoubtedly come into the market |
under the demand which would be |
created by an intelligent development of |
the policy referred to, and much more |
could be forced into the market by a |
wise modification of our tax laws
whereby private parties would be COM
PEELED to improve their estates in accord
ance with the natural resources OF the
land, or suffer penalty in the shape of
an increase in the rate OF assessment
therefor.
TO be Continued.)