The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-05-20
Treasurer Oahu Sugar Co.. Ltt

The substance of these two trans
actions is this: Eight years ago Mr..
Dillingham; found it profitable to pay
$500 an acre for the entire east side of
the Peninsula of Pearl City. which,
| as you are aware, differs only from
Waipio in being a smaller peninsula
and not having the advantage of deep
water close to the shore The land at
| that time was intirely unimproved
Mr.. Dillingham; ran a short branch
railroad down the center Of the PENN
sula, staked his purchase into town
lots and sold at a rate of five times
his purchase price. know of no rea-
son why the same venture would not
be equally successful tomorrow at
Waipio.
The second transaction referred to
is the purchase of the site for mill and
laborers quarters for the new Oahu
Sugar Co. This land is inland without
any natural advantages. the chief re-
quisites for its use as a mill site being
that it is approximately near the cen
ter of the plantation and that it is
not sheltered from the trade winds
which aid the draft of the chimney
If plantation is obliged to pay over
! 5000 an acre for its mill site I am I'M
able to understand how the United
States expects to get a naval station
with extensive wharf frontage for $50
an acre.
These two transactions are the only
ones that l know of in the vicinity of
Pearl Harbor within recent years. I'm
| der these circumstances l do not feel
! that it is presumptuous to request you
/ TO inform me in turn upon what in
| formation you base your conclusion
that the price at which Waipio PENN
! sula is held is fictitious and that the
true value is about $50 per acre.
You Will perhaps pardon me if l
| take advantage of this communication
to you to make public another correc-
ton OF statement for which you are
| in no wise responsible. Congressman
/ Hilborn and other opponents of an
neXation have coupled with the state
ment that the land at Pearl Harbor
! is held at an exorbitant price. for
| which unfortunately they now have
your official statement, the further as
sertion that the land is held by specu-
lators, thereby seeking to create the
! impression that the land has been
bought up at low prices with the ex-
pectation of making profit from the
United States.
The truth is, on the contrary, that
the land has not been bought OF sold
for the past forty years. 1t was orr
! ginally the property of John Ii, Ha-
waiian Chief, who proved his title to
it before the Land Commission and
received his Award in 1850 The land
remained in his possession until his
death in 1870 when it was devised by
him to his daughter Irene Ii now the
wife of Mr.. c. A. Brown.
Last year for the better management
OF the Estate Corporation was form
ed in which Mr.. Brown, Mrs Brown
and their children hold the entire
beneficial interest.
/ am confident that you will excuse
the publicity which l give to this per-
sonal letter on account of the import
ance of the question to all those in
terested in the welfare of the Hawaiian
Islands. 1t may be said that the fact
that the land can be condemned by
the United States and its value as
sessed by twelve disinterested men
renders our prices of little moment,
but 1 express the sentiments of the
directors of the corporation in saying
that we should feel that we were be-
traying the interests of Hawaii should
we delay or discourage annexation by
holding the land required by the Unit
ed States at dollar above its fair
market value.
Very truly yours,
SIDNEY MILLER BALLOU.
Secretary John Ii Ectatn Ii,,nitod