The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-18
OLAA SQUATERS IMPALED MEANS HONERYSPR|NG
WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS SAY
OF THEIR CLAIMS.
Biennial Report of the Commissioners
of Public Landslide transactions OF
Two Years-The Land Order.

The report of the Commissioners of
Public Lands for the years 1898 and
1899 has just been issued. In view of
the agitation concerning the status OF
public lands, an agitation carried on
both here and on the mainland, in Con-
gress and out, the report is of more than
usual popular interest
The report shows that during the two
years there were 1872 separate transac-
tions involving 23,O05 20 acres, valued at.
S134, 81 Is. OF these, 234 transactions
covering 1884. 26 acres, and valued at
SIS, 126. Sc, were made after July Z, 1898
and are therefore affected by the execu-
tive order of President Mckinley refer
ring to Hawaiian lands OF THE New
Olaa Tract" and "Squatters" claims
the report says
The principal tract surveyed during
the period for settlement purposes was
the new section of Olaa in Puma, Ha-
wall, containing about 10000 acres.
This land was surveyed under the
| supervision of e. d. Baldwin, and was
laid out into 406 lots, in general of so
| acres EACH much care having been CIV
en- to all the details of the work in
Guiding the location and profiling of
all roads.
THE report of Mr. Balwin on this
| survey as given in the report of the Sur
] y
ny statement of the work done.
These lots were advertised to be sold
| under special conditions September End
1899, said sale being further postponed,
and Indefinitely withdrawn after re-
ceipt of the Executive order of Presi-
! dert Mckinley
THE special conditions under which
these lots were offered provided for a
! term of residence and for a series of
easy payments extending at option OF
| purchaser over a period of ten years,
and were specially intended to provide
easy terms for bona-fide settlers while
discouraging as far as possible the mere
Spectator. The great advance in value
of the lands in the old Olaa section,
following the new sugar enterprises es-
tablishd there, stimulated to an I'M
usual degree the desire to obtain pos
session Of the new lands by any means:
to this, rather than to an eagerness to
establish homes in the wilderness, may
be attributed the squatter movement
of which much has been heard.
Reliable information of recent date
shows that the so-called squatters do
not live on, or otherwise occupy the
lands claimed by them; that the shacks
put up on the lands are but the pretense
for houses, and that the hacking of a
few ferns by the Japanese sent in to
build the shacks, represent the extent
| of cultivation. In other words that the
| 'Olaa squatters' are not even the gem
uine article, but are probably fairly rep
resented by the Honolulu resident en-
gagged in active business who informed
the writer that he was in it (the squat
ter movemenD because the experiment
| didn't cost much and might pay we'll
if it worked all right.
1T is to be hoped that this promis-
| ing tract may yet be taken up by bona
fide settlers who are willing and glad
to comply with the reasonable condi-
tions originally proposed.
THE lands laid out during the per-
iod, have been those lying principally
between the elevations of 900 and 5000
feet what has heretofore been re-
ferred to as the coffee belt The dam
per put upon the coffee industry by low
prices and disappointing results in To-
calities where much was expected, will
doubtless turn more attention to the
class of lands that might be suited to
general farming purposes, more par
ticularly to those lands at higher ele-
vations, where much less expense is re-
quired in the way of clearing, and
where the climate and soil seems es-
pecially adapted to the raising of fruits,
vegetables, grain, etc.
d, "A considerable amount of land of
this nature is at the disposal of the gov
eminent, and it is hoped that in this di-
rection some opportunity may be found
lot persons OF limited means,
"A large area of public lands too
rough for other cultivation but with
soil and climate suited to growth OF
rubber trees, is found on nearly all the
islands. The establishment of this or
some kindred industry would give new
value to a class Of public lands large
in amount, and now practically I'M
used"
During the two years there were "a
re fp
12,121.21 acres, valued at $43, Sol 92.
These sales were made at values APP
praised in the land act.
The right of purchase lease system
has shown itself the favorite for per-
sons of small means, and following
these the special agreement sales at
auction have been in favor. These lat
ter have been of much service to those
who could not comply with a residence
condition, and allow the imposing of
conditions to check the taking up of
lands with purely speculative motive,
Fourteen auction sales, for cash, of
government land have been made dur
ing the two years, involving an area of
624. "a acres valued at S24,S
Sales for cash have in general been
made only to meet cases where eXcep-
tiOnal expense or improvement were to
be put upon the land, and which would
only be made upon fee simple lands.
made after careful consideration, and
where all the circumstances pointed to
such sale as the best disposition to be
made.
Twenty-one new leases of lands We're
made during the two years involving
IS .S40.S6 acres at an annual rental of
$9,2l9. OF these, four We're Of lands
never before under lease and nine of
them We're made after July Z, 1898 The
longest term is for twenty-one years.
The public land available for the pur q
poses of the land act during the period
190c-1901, are $4,000 acres of surveyed
land i'm the "coffee belt" or from LOCO
Ia 5000 feet elevations 10000 acres of
unsurveyed lands in this belt 20, 900
acres of unsurveyed second class agri-
cultural land, 100000 acres Of unsurvey-
ed pastoral lands Of various grades,
and 100000 acres of unsurveyed high
forest and agricultural land.