The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-07-16
PARK LOTS.

When the Legislature was in SESSION
the question of fee simple titles TO
the lots at Kapiolani Park was moot
ed. Two bills were brought in, one
by Senator Brown to grant these III
ties in fee simple, the other by Sena-
tor McCandless Numerically oppo-
site. Neither bill passed. But there
was much discussion and conference
about them and the acting Minister
of the Interior, it is claimed, pledged
himself to certain members that not
a foot of the beach lots should be dis
posed of. If that pledge was made it
most certainly should be kept.
The history of these lots shows
how lack of foresight may bring
about difficulty and may to a certain
extent work wrong. Taken from the
view of the public the beach border
ing the park should be open. 1t
should never have been built upon,
and farseeing Ministers in the past
should have taken pains to secure
the property to the public. However,
the lots were leased for building sites
and a number of residences have been
put up. The lots are desirable, the
location is pleasant, the people who
built became DESTROYS of obtaining
fee simple titles to the property, and
in some cases did obtain them. How
ever an agitation sprang up against
any further granting of fee simple til
ties, and unless the Cabinet goes
back on its word, no such thing can
be obtained.
On behalf of the lease holders it is
urged that they have spent much
money on their lots, and that their
expenditures have made the park at
tractive. That also, if these houses
are removed, the beach will become a
dreary waste, as the government
could not afford to keep the tract in
the same good order that it is kept
now. This is specious reasoning. 1t
is true that the lease holders have
spent much money, it is true that they
have beautifed the place, but they
did it with their eyes open, they all
knew they were building on leased
land There are several buildings in
town erected upon leased land for a
set term of years; at the end of the
term the land and buildings will re-
vert to the landlord. There will be
no complaint. However much the
tenant may have put into it, however
much he may have improved and
beautifed it will not matter a
straw, it will go back to the owner.
Those who are opposed to the
granting of any fee simple titles are
not actuated by any selfish motives,
they are entirely actuated by public
spirit. The fact is that as things now
are there is no public beach. The
public is practically cut off from the
sea by long piece of private proper
ty, and unless one has friends, or
one chooses to pay quarter for the
privilege of bathing at any of the re-
sorts, one cannot conveniently get on
to the beach. There should be a free
beach, and that free and open beach
should be along the park The me-
chanic and the laborer should be able
to take his family down to the park
and let them have the free run of the
beach, to paddle in the ripping water,
TO build sand castles and to enjoy
themselves as they do on countless
beaches both in the old and new
worlds.
These remarks have been called
forth because of statement made
yesterday that the government was
contemplating giving fee simple ii.
ties during this week Many people
apart from the considerations men.
toned above, doubt whether such a
proceeding would be strictly honest
at this time. Annexation has taken
place, and the terms on which an,
neXatiOn takes place include the
transfer of all government land to tn,
United States. How then can the Ha
waiian government ALLEVIATE what il
has already granted to Uncle Sam
There does not seem any need of un
due haste, and if any one has any
just claims let him settle it with the
United States, WHICH is quite capa
BILE of taking care of its own.
The lighting about Santiago has
been grand in its power to show what
material the United States troops are