Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-24
How They Are Opened For
Settlement.
ADMINISTRATION LAWS
Will Change the Land Acts That Have
Been in Force For a Number Of
Years In the Sandwich Islands
Native Holdings Small,

New York, Jan. 24.-In this weeks issue
of the Independent appears an article
upon Hawaiian Public Lands" by San
ford B. Dole, president Of Hawaii. Fol-
lowing is ar abstract:~
SIN the year 1889 Kamehaneha III is
sued a proclamation, granting to the
Hawaiian people the right of acquiring
real estate and other property n hold
ing the same without interference. Dur
ing the year 1S4S terms of divisions of
the lands of the kingdom were arranged
after much elaboration between the
king, the chiefs and the people. These.
briefly, were as follows: To the king a
third, to the chiefs a third and to the
people o third. The lumber Of holdings
taken up by the common people came up
to IL, 1872. a~ggregating 2S,65S acres and aV-
eraging 2.57 acres apiece. A consider
able number of the small holdings so &C
Quired have since passed into the hands
of foreigners through direct sales or
mortgage foreclosures. The lands or the
chiefs have also largely become the prop
erty of foreigners by the same methods.
I'm the year 1914 the legislature en-
acted a law providing for the sale of
homesteads to such persons as wished
them for permanent occupation. Tine
administration, however. were SO little
in sympathy with the policy of this law
that no action was taken under it until
1883, when the new administration, which
had come into power under the revolution
of the previous year, took vigorous laws
to carry out it's provisions. Up to the
time of the enactment of new land icSls-
lation in 1895, about 534 homesteads were
taken up aggregating SASS acres and ap-
praised at $6S.047, or about IS per acre
and average Is $40 acres and a value OF
1927 apiece.
1.-The land act of 1895 was far more
comprehensive than anything that had
preceded it and covered the whole admin
istration of the public lands, excepting
town and forest lands, parks and roads.
The settlement Of individuals on small
holdings was it's predominant feature.
-Four special methods We're provided
for furnishing land to applicants wish
ing to occupy the sarne-i e.. homestead
leases, right of purchase leases, free hold
agreements and special agreements of
sale. OF these the right of purchase
lease has been the most popular with a
list of 356 holdings taken up, the SPECIAL
agreements of sale comes next with ~
holdings leases lis holdings and free
holding agreements 90 holdings.
1.-THE holdings occupied under these diff
ferent systems, a~ggregating GIG in num-
Der. nave a total area of 2S,065 acres and
an average area of 45.56 acres. Their
aggregate value at the time Of occupl-
ton, as appraised, was $17S,46i, or $cS9. 20
a piece and So. SO an acre.
"The administration of the public lands
was corsid red of sufficient Importance
since the organization of the government
of Hawaii to Justify the calling of a spe-
cial session Of the Legislature. In view
of a possible failure of the project Of an
neXation to the United States, / deemed
it necessary to develop a citizen class,
who should. by it's conservatism, indus
try and Intelligent industry in public or
der, become a reliable upport to the gov
eminent of the republic. There remain
ed no more effective way of accomplish
ing his than by opening the public lands
to both the existing population and flu
ture emigrants win would be ready to
occupy them permanently as farmers,
The privilege of taking up lands under
thisp policy vas limited to citizens through
letters of deniZation. AT the same time
the legislature had in view the alterna-
tive of annexation. The results have
been somewhat disappointing. In pro-
portion to their numbers comparatively
few Hawaiians have taken up leases or
homesteads under any Of the methods
provided in the act.
Annexation, when complete, will cut
off considerable measure of the cost Of
carrying on the local government, such
as military, customs and postoffiec ex-
penses, but much relief will in nowise af-
feet the loss Of tie customs evenues as
they existed before annexation. More
over, with the rapid development of the
country under the stimulus of annexa-
ton there will be need of increased ex-
penditures for public improvements.
las the public lands of the Hawaiian
islands are limited and a large proportion
of them are comparatively valueless, the
Importance of the leasehold system is an.
parent. 1t is equally apparent that a re-
peal of this system, which would force
the public LANDS Onthe market would de.
prive Hawaii of a material part of the
consideration upon which the annexation
was affected.
Hawaiian leasehold system is also
important to the country in another way
The policy of land settlement in small
holdings, If necessary to the country in
Its ~indepndent con -.tion, may be regard.
ed as imperative under ~nnexatio This
system conserves the public domain witt
adequate provision for furnishing land t
settlers according to the demand unde]
the reservation in The general leases o.
the right OF the government at n tim,
to take possession of any part of tn,
leasehold for settlement purposes, TIL,
repeal of the lease hold system would
tend to throw large tracts of lands int,
the permanent ownership Of sugar cor
porations and other capitalists. thus de
privins the country forever of their con
troll for settlement purposes.
by the constitution of the republic q
Hawaii the crown lands were placed o,
the same footing as government an,
hav ever since been administered un1e
In 1894 was 971, 463 acres, the area Of gov
eminent lands at the same time wa
1921, 316 acres"