The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-04-16

WASHINGTON ID. Co., April 1.-THE
report of w. L. Chambers, United
States Land Commissioner to Samoa,
dated February 8, 1895, was made pub
lie today. Mr.. Chambers was one of
the three Commissioners appointed
by the treaty powers of Great Britain,
Germany and the United States, I'M
der the provisions of the Berlin treaty,
to adjust and settle all claims of aliens
to land in Samoa.
The annual meeting of the commit
tee was held January q, 1894, at Apia.
The reports include all the title papers
to Samoan lands, and are of consider
able value. An exhibit attached to
the report shows that the total num-
Der of claims filed before the commit
tee were 1892. OF these, 1922 were
German, 1857 British, 307 American,
800 French and Is miscellaneous.
The total claims aggregated 1, 691, 1892
acres, while the island contains $4,000
acres. Only per cent. of the claims
were confirmed.
. q
Americans was rejected because of the
manifestly inadequate consideration
given for it, and because the titles
were defective under several of the
provisions of the treaty. About 21,-
600 acres were confirmed to Ameri-
cans. Most of them belonged to
corporation composed of San Fran
cisco stockholders.
ho fipoo tho i71UoqfiUotiOYI fnnE
place." says Mr. Chambers, "this cor
poration was insolvent, and is still re
ported insoIvent. The titles were con-
firmed to certain trustees. None of
the stockholders resided in Samoa,
and so far as my investigation of the
matter went none of them had ever
resided there, nor has the company
nor it's trustees an agent in the cOun-
try. Deducting the land confirmed to
this company, I think it is a safe esti-
mate that not exceeding 1000 acres
were confirmed to claimants. Almost
all the land Of the San Francisco COM
pany is for sale end is liable to be sold,
il at all, to EDgland's or Germany's
subjects rather than to Americans,
for whatever inducements there may
be for English or German Investment
in the Samoan Islands, cannot see
that there exists any reason for fur
Their American investments.
Continuing, Mr.. Chambers says he
heard Of only nineteen bOna-fide
Americans In the country exclusive of
officials and does not believe there are
thirty Americans there all told, in
Guiding those who claim citizenship
through naturalization. He says
there are several well TODD Americans
engaged in mercantile pursuits, one of
whom is the wealthIest man in the
country. Some of these are married
to native women and probably Will
never return to the United States.
''I have been thus explicit in refer
ence to the property owned by Amer
leans as well as to the number of
Americans in the country in order
that the department may know our
relationship to Samoa as it was devel-
oped in the course of the investiga-
tiOns into land titles, and because I
conceive it my duty to let our Govern
ment know how Insignificant such
interests really are"
In reference to Pango.Pango Bay
Mr.. Chambers says that the claim of
the United States Government was
examined and confirmed, but that the !
claims are by no means so valuable as |
the American people seem to think. |
What are thought to be the most val |
liable parts of the shore of the bay |
have never been acquired by the |
United States The harbor is so deep |
and the bay so small that not more |
than three or four ships could be an
chored there in case the wind was |
blowing either into the harbor or off |
shore.
He recommends that if our ports are
considered to be really of value steps |
should be taken to acquire such addi-
tiOnal rights as may make those al
ready held of use. He argues, how
ever, that the station is not likely to
be of further use, and thinks the ad-
visibility of making future invest
ments there should be- fully consid-
cred before taking any further steps
in the matter.