The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-05-30
Plans for Selection Discussed
by a Surveyor.
MAY Be SALE At AUCTION
Great Demand for he lots Iona
Term OF Residence Required,
Close Questioning Settlements.
tHawaii He.aid.l

The Land Department OF the Govern
ment has practically decided upon
plan of disposing of the tract of land
20 ne opened in Olaa. Owing to the
enormous demand for holdings and the
possible desire on the part OF some OF
the applicants to realize largely and
promptly the lands will probably be
sold at auction to the highest bidder
and a clause will be inserted in The
agreements providing for a FIVE years
actual residence Mr.. Baldwin admits
that this will probably be the plan
adopted but definite Instructions to
tina, effec; have not yet been received
He said to a reporter for the Herald:
When was in Honolulu a couple of
weeks ago ! had a conversation with
Land Commissioner Brown regarding
the opening OF the lands in Olal. and
he suggested the adopting of the same
plan that is in force in Hamakua, and
| think the lands will he sold 70 the
highest bidder to be paid for in cash
at the time of purchase, or on the same
plan as the right of purchase leases
where interest only on the amount is
collected during the term specified.
The five years residence clause will be
inserted so that speculation can be, To
4 great extent, avoided. A man can
| buy land under the presen. terms and
MI. on a dummy to fill the require
mtnts OF the law for Two years, but Il
NAV be difficult for him to do this Tor
five wears. Il is this dummy business
the Government will try TO sop. There
is being printed in Honolulu form
| containing a list of questions TO be
answered and sworn 10 by holders OF
right of purchase leases as the Gov
eminent intends to ascertain as near
as possible just how closely the law Is
being carried out. These answers will
include the name OF the holder, his res
idence and place of business. when he
went on the land, how long he resided
there and such other Information as
may be deemed necessary.
| Some people have an idea they can
live and do business in Hilo or else
where and still hold their land; this
is not correct. A man with a wife o,
family might live in Hilo and attend
TO his business here and hold his land
provided his wife or his family had a.
tually resided on the land he had Sc
cured under lease. Two places of res
idence will hardly fiji the bin.
| Another mistake has been made b!
people right here IN Hilo. They OWL
homes in the town and have taken VI
Government land in Olaa or Puma upoT
Favorable terms. The Government will
not allow this under any circumstance
as the agreements provided that they
must not be the owners OF o:her lands
When the time comes for paying VI
these people will discover their mis-
take to their cost.
Il do not know what will be done il
the matter OF settlemen. associations
those things are attended TO entirel!
at the Land Office in Honolulu and al
Implications that have received have
been sent down. Under that. clause il
1.-THE Land Act not more than one hun
ldred acres can be assigned a slngl,
family and not less than six families
lean apply for land 20 be set apart fo
their use. in this way. My impression
is that the lands mus, be occupied
within three months from the time thu
land is transferred to the association
The only one established in this vicin
ity is over by Laupahoehoe, which II
Il. Gehr is az the head of. So far only
seven families have signiiied their in
tention of locating there; whether o
mot there are more 10 come | do no
know. He took up 1900 acres, which
means that seventeen families should
live there. Eight associations hav'
filed their applications for lands TO
settlements in Olaa, most OF them ask
ing for the same lots, and by actua
calculation there would be just enough
land in the los to accommodate TIVE
and one-half associations. ! have NJ
Information as 10 what the Department
will do. probably a compromise o
some kind may be effected or the Gov
ernment may decide to give them lanC
somewhere else. No definite time Ia!
been set for the opening of the lanC
and the settlement matters cannot b.
attended 10 until this Is done"