The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-05-13
THE CROWN LANDS.


advice for the Provisional Govern
ment to take in response to the
movement that has sprung up for a
partition of the Grown lands. In
the first place, it is not certain that
any disposition this Government
makes of the lands has the assurance
of inality, but on this point there is
need for no more than the sugges-
tion as a warning to intending set
tiers regarding their titles. Apart
from any consideration of finality,
however, the subject has far-reach-
ing importance that forbids an off
hand partition of the lands. To
portion them out right and left to
all-comers, without suitable precau-
tions, would mean the comparatively
early acquisition of the lands by
mortgage brokers. The lands if ap-
portioned to small farmers by any
authority should be made absolutely
inalienable for term long enough
to prevent improvident or unfortu-
nate holders letting them fall into
the hands of the land grabbing
fraternity. Any homesteads that
become abandoned or forfeited must
be made to revert to the Govern
ment for disposition only to new
and bona-fde settlers.
Amidst all the dishonest writing
against elements of the lately sus-
pended regime, nothing has exceed
ed in moral obliquity the TRADES
against the royal holdings of land
1t is only very recently that the
word, "Thus far shalt thou come and
no farther" has been uttered to the
planting and stock-raising fraternity
regarding the public domain, and
the policy made a national one by
all parties of devoting all the avail,
able lands to homestead settlement
In some cases this policy has proved
successful, in others for various rea,
sons the contrary. But while this
policy was yet in its infancy we fine
Queen Liliuokalani adopting {
scheme of settlement on Grown
lands suitable for the purpose more
liberal in some respects, and certain
ly safer for settlers, than the Gov
ernment's land policy. She devoted
large tract of the best and mos
favorably situated lands on Hawai-
to small lease holders for a Ions
term, giving them the land free o
rent for three years-or until the
paintings had time to mature. A
condition was that certain proper
tion of the land must be planted il
coffee, thus ensuring large add
tion at the outset to that rising anC
promising new industry. Expecta
tions regarding the coffee industry
it is true, may not be realized; bu
with large enterprises in that linz
being started on the right and left
upon the strong recommendation o
experts, it cannot be deemed unwis'
to have bound the settlers to ont
leading product, rather than have
them undertake haphazard expert
mentation, as the fancy seized them
with all sorts of soil productions.
Common honesty would have die
tated telling of the whole trutl
by those scribes who have rallied al
the possession of large areas oi
lands by the Grown as an undiluted
grievous public wrong. 1t may in
deed be deemed fortunate for the
country, whatever its destiny may
be, that the great division of lands
by Kamehameha III. has resulted IN
preserving through all these year.
SO much valuable territory from tn,
rapacity of the miscellaneous guile
OF land sharks, What of the hon
esty, it may be asked further, of dia
tribes against the land conserved by
the Crown, without the accompani
ment OF a word about those otheI