The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-10-06
Roads, Taxes and Lands In
Koua.

MR- EDlToR Sir, 1 enclose s
copy of : notice issued here regard.
ing government lands, VIII you
kindly publish it along with the
following remarks? No one here
knows the proper boundaries of the
land in question: Honuaula"-
neither is there any road or public
right Of access 10 the said land.
Does the Minister of Interior or
his subordinates intend to cross
over private properties wherever
it may please them to do so? If
they do, Ipresume they are exceed
ing their power; they had much
better secure 6 right of way and
make it publicly known where SAID
right of way is. Also, l would ask
the Minister of Interior why he has
singled out the above land of Hon.
uauls 10 be neither {" lei, leased or
soldfa II it is for any public good
let him demonstrate the fact by
fencing or otherwise improving the
land. It is hard TO convince the
public that it is any benefit 10 them
10 see traet of land lying entirely
vacant and useless. If by doing so
the land would bring . greater rain
fall or otherwise more water to
Kons, well and good. Still the
more urgent need. why the Minister
should get the boundaries defined
and fencing done. We might all
get tired of this continual Ma
hope" 1t seems to me the Minister
is abusing his power in keeping the
above or any other government
land lying useless, and his agents
sending out these threatening no.
tees. The above land was adver-
tised for lease, which certainly
would have been taken up but for
reasons best known to himself. The
Minister indefinitely postponed the
sale, perhaps to encourage the Kona
Sugar Company. If so, by all
means let that company. if still IN
existence, have the land to utilize
it, and not keep it as bone of con-
tention among the people.
The new road from Kailua to
Kahanaiki is being slowly made,
but st great waste of the public
money. The number of men en-
ployed is limited to thirteen; fire.
quently less number at work.
Still it requires two overseers to
superintend the work. One is paid
$50 per month; the other is paid
$50 or $40 per month One of
these OYerseers should, it seems 10
me, be quite sufficient, to overlook
thirteen men st work. The
salary of the highest paid
overseer would be much better
spent in the employment of
three more men 10 work. Per-
haps though it is the way to carry
on work on sugar plantations. two
oyerseers to each thirteen. In ad-
ditiOn to the above overpaid
officials, l believe there is 3 secre-
tary, paymaster. or some such
name. He is doubtless paid.
Where the new road crosses the
old trail, and goodness knows it
was bad enough, the new road is
left in such s condition that it is
dangerous getting safely over in
the dark When the orerseer was
demonstrated with and asked to
smooth the rocks somewhat, he re-
piled that be only took instrue-
tons from the Minister of Interior.
Surely, the Minister does not in
struet his Road Superintendent to
leave their work in such q cOndi-
ton that an action for damages, if
not maDslaughter, might arise.
The discomforts Of travel in kona
are bad enough without beng
added to.
Our taxes WILL ere long have to
be paid, or after the Appeal |
Boards have sat and passed judg- |
ment. Here is a specimen Of our
Assessors work in Kona. Two |
large tracts of land, called Keau-
hou and Raupulehu, both belonging |
to the late Mrs. Bishops trustees;
the former at fifty cents an
acre, the latter at twenty-five cents
an acre. These two lands contain
mostly all the worthless Land on
both Hualalai and Mauna Loa
for their extent, contain
ing the merest mite of the more
valuable lands. The land of Keau-
1ou contains loo, 900 acres. more or
ess, more than nine-tenths of
which is utterly worthless; it ex-
lends from the summit of Hualalai.
,ast and south to the summit OF
dauna Loa, crossing 3 perfect
lesert, or worse If that were pos
ible; then taking in all the west
,,-r zloro of fhn l<.nO uouufcln TILL 1