The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-03-13
House OF Representatives.


propoupded on the previous day relat-
ing to changes in the valuation AMI
assessment of property by the Board
of EoualiZatIon, by presenting 10 the
House the minutes of the Board relat.
ing to the subject, and also printed
rules in force at the present time.
Rep Richards reported the bill re
par,,iug the preservation of records
and dSrkets OF district mag lstratss,
typewritten.
Rep Kamauoha propounded the
following questions to the Minister OF
the Interior:
"First-Is il the Intention of the
Government to introduce any more
ChIre-e or japanese la5orers into th-
country?
''Second-If so, please state to the
Home the number IL Is proposed 10
Introduce.
.sis there not now enough labor In
the country to satisfy the demands of
the sugar and rice plantations auu
other Industries, without introducing
more?
The Cabinet is requested to state
what it intends 10 do in the matter of
labor"
Senate bill No. 4, relating to amend
ments TO the Land Act, was brought
forward.
Minister Cooper moved that the bill
pass its second reading.
Rep. Richards said that he expected
more information The House bad
postponed consideration because morr
time had been asked for the consider
alton of the bill. If the motion made
by Minister Cooper was the only
additional information the Executive
had To introduce, then the only thing
to do was to adopt the report OF the
committee.
Rep. Rycroft said that the Land Act
had been passed six mouths ago.
There had been no change IN condl
tions since that time. The part which
il was proposed to change had been
thoroughly gone over aud discussed
then. When the bill was passed,
strangers here who had heard that the
natives had been and were being
robbed of their lands thought that
this matter of giving them free land
was one of the best things that had
ever been done for the country.
Minister Cooper had remarked that
an oversight had been made by the
Government; clearly there was u big
oversight. The Ministers were all
present during the discussion OF the
bill. The conditions had not changed
and until then the bill should be
allowed to stand AS il is When "A
man settles on homestead IL viii
not he fixed up for nim. He must
expeud both energy and money and
should not be bampered. COntinu -
ly petitions were coming in for re-
durtion in the purchase price OF the
land The native HawaiiaDs are
forced to work much harder for their
money now than in the Olden times.
Mr.. Rycroft was in favor Of giving
them two years time for good trial
under the conditions Of the Land Act
Rag Wi1stoo wao,ed TO know II
the Ministers proposed SO Introduce
any further Information. II they did
not ruen the House should proceed
with tue matter.
MiuiSter Cooper said tina: the petit |
tion for more time did not come from |
the Ministers side. Some one of the |
members of the House proposed that
be postponed on account
of the absence of Attorny- General
Smith. He regretted to find himself
represe nting the whole Cabinet as
agai net the report of the committee.
The C.binet and President bad held
anotuer meeting aud had decided
to urge the passage of
the bill. The matter of the oversight
in thu law had been a surprise to the
Executive. Knowledge had come
about in this way, Mr.. Bolte had
written an article for one of the Ger
man newspapers in which he had
stated that land would be dealt out
to foreiyners free % rent and taxes.
He was called to task and said that
he h IA simply echoed the law on tn
matter. Upon examination it was
found that Mr.. Bolte was correct.
The change was reconsidered almost
imme iiately.
Rep Rycroft said that be must have
been misinformed if the Minister was
correct in what he said. He under-
stood that Mr. Bolte had written as
an inducement To German laborers to
come into the country. He did not
think that it Was Intended that Ger
mans would come into the country
and settle at once on the land.
Minister Cooper was sure that the
House had confidence in the Execu-
tive regarding the good of the Hawai-
ians. That was one of the principal
points before the Executive at all
times. He believed that, under the
present law, the native Hawaiians
would become beneficiaries of the
Government He was sure that none
would be in favor of placing them
selves in such a position. Ii would
work as detriment instead of bene-
fit. The rent at the uppermost would
be very small. The appraisement
would be on the basis OF eight acres of
good land or sixteen acres of second
class land. Valuation on the best
land could hardly be imagined more
than 500. At per cent. this would
be 81 year at the highest. The value
of mans possessions is in accordance
with what he has expended on them.
The previous homestead law was a
very gratifying one, and yet the
amendment proposed would not make
the present law nearly as hard TO
bear By making conditions so that
8 small sum would have to be paid by
the holders of bomesteads, the incen-
tive toward making a good home
would be increased because something
of value has been expended on it.
Surveying and laying out roads was
onof he IN he aOusi.lorod This