The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-11-15
Lands to Be Opened to
Settlers.
WAIMANU GULCH HOMESTEADS.
Commissioner Brown Talks of the
Plans-Land on Maui for Coffee
Growing - Portuguese Fail to
Apply - Hawaiians in Majority.

Land Commissioner Brown IS
preparing for a campaign in home
steads. He is anxious that all the
lands which should come under
the new land law may be surveyed
as soon as possible in order that
applications may be filed, and
persons desiring the land may
have an opportunity to settle upon
them and begin the improvements
called for in the act.
"What we want" said the COM
missioner yesterday, ''is to have a
section of land surveyed and let
the people know that they can get
the land provided they will COM
ply with the terms Of the act. We
are thinking Of surveying Wal
manu- gulch in the Hamakua dis
trict, Hawaii. This land, you will
understand, is unsuited to coffee
and will answer only for houselots.
Situated as it is in a valley and
is not above thirty feet elevation
will not answer for coffee"
"Then the land in Waimanu will
go to the Hawaiians if they want
il ?"
eyes, most assuredly, that is the
reason why we will proceed with
that section. We want to find out
how much land if any they will
take up. In Honokaa they showed
the greatest desire for hOmesteads
and the surveys were made, but
when they saw the conditions upon
which they could have the land
they did not want ii"
What proportion of Hawaiians
apply for land under the new
law ?'
Large enough to convince us
that they will be in the majority.
Most Hawaiians," remarked the
Commissioner, simply take up
enough for their home wants. Ex-
cept in certain districts, but few
make applications for coffee lands.
OF course, in the Kona district the
homesteads taken up by the Ha-
waiians will be for the purpose of
growing coffee. Just as soon as we
can send him a surveyor will 60 to
Puanahulu. North Kona. There
are a number of Hawaiians there
who want land for coffee growing,
and as soon as the district is sur
veyed and the people can learn
what pieces they may have the ap-
plications will roll in on us. There
is also a limited number of acres OF
land in Waikele and KOolau that
is available and the tracts will be
open as soon as the surveys can be
made. Scarcity OF surveyors? No!
Scarcity of coin. You have no
idea what a Job it is for a man to
run lines in some Of these districts.
Take Waimanu, for instance. The
man who goes there must take his
men with him in order to be sure
he can have them from one day to
another. Then, again, there's the
matter of food. 1t must be packed
into the gulch and around with the
men. These things don't add to
the pleasures of surveying or make
life for the men who do it one pleas
ant dream"
In answer to the question as to
how the Portuguese took to the law,
he said:
much to our surprise there are
very few who want it. When the
bill became a law Mr.. CanavarrO,
the Charge d'Affaires, was request
ed to communicate the fact to the
Portuguese, but not one seems to
want land. 1t may be, when all
OF the land has been surveyed, we
may hear from them
What about Kauai?"
We'll. Kauai has very little
land belonging to the Government.
that Is not under lease; over in
Hanalei there is a small quantity
OF land which will be thrown open
to settlers"