The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-17
THE PUBLIC land POLICY
ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT ON
THE SUBJECT.
observer" Joins with "Citizen" in
Asking for a Report on the Workings
of the Land Law.

EDITOR STAR: In a communication
lately published by you, Citizen" sug-
gests that before any more of the pub
lie lands be alienated by the territory,
there be an inquiry into the workings
of the present land laws. He suggests
several queries, answers to which would
certainly be important, and if the ans
wers to them should prove to be of the
kind he intimates they would be, an
entire reconsideration of the entire pub
lie land policy would be in order.
Citizen" writes in the tone of an
earnest and well informed man, so that
from his communication one would
judge that he had information in the
line of the inquiries he suggests, and
the answers he intimates. If this is so,
would 1t not be in the furtherance of
the good to the territory which "Citi-
zen" evidently desires, if he would start
a petition to the territorial government,
asking for a consideration of the work.
ings of the law before further DISPOSE
ton of public lands under it, is NADER
This would bring the matter squarely
before the administration in way that
it could properly take notice of it.
1 think there is no doubt that "Citi-
zen's" views as to the failure of the
law to work out the purposes had in
view when the law was framed and
passed, is shared by large number of
people. Anyone who has followed, even
casually, the course of events, must at
least, have had the question raised in
his mind The object of the law, at least
as l understand it, was to get the pub
lie lands, as fast as they were parted
with by the government, into the hands
of small holders actually occupying the
| land, and thus to build up citizenship
| having a substantial interest in the
| country. With this object, most citi-
zens agree. But l think there can be no
doubt that the object has in large mea-
sure failed. Therefore, 1 join with
| Citizen" in asking for consideration
| of the whole subject.
1t seems to me that the fatal defect
in the system is that it assumes that
ownership of the land instead of merely
an exclusive right of occupancy is nee
essary to the purpose in view. By part
ing with the ownership of the land to
individuals, even though that owner
| ship has conditions attached, and is not
immediate, makes of the land thus
parted with, a commodity in which
| there is the possibility of speculation.
| This invites the acquisition of this land
| for speculative purposes rather than for
! occupancy and use and the building up
of desirable citizenry, and the gov
eminent loses it's ownership which it
held for the good of the whole commu-
nifty, in advance in many instances of
the real needs of occupancy. Men take
the land, not because they need it to use
now, but in order to get it into their
control to reap a profit from other citi-
zens later, when the land will actually
be needed for use and occupancy.
Why should the public part with the
ownership of a single rood of land it
now owns? Why not keep the owner
ship, and the benefit of ownership for
the whole public, not only for the pub
lie now in being, but for the public
which shall come hereafter, which Their
will have as vital an interest and as
inviolable rights in the matter in its
day and generation, as the present pub.
lie has in it's?
If the public lands are needed for use
and occupancy, let them be used by
those who need them, on terms just an6
equitable to the user and to the public
whose they are. When these first users
and occupiers need them no longer
others who need them, can use and oc.
cupy them on equally just and equit.
able terms The first occupiers will
have had a complete quid pro quo, anC
at the termination of their contract, the
land reverts for the benefit of the public
which is then in existence.
In those states of the union in which
the public lands belonged to the fedora
government, one or two sections in eacf
township have been given to the states
for the benefit of the school fund. Some
townships did not sell their land, but
retained the ownership of it. AS it in.
creased in value the increased income
added so much more to the school
funds. The wisdom of this course ha,
become so evident, that in the Older
states, a proposition to sell any of the
school lands would now be almost una.
, nimously voted down. Why should VIZ
not benefit by the experience of othel
communities and retain public lands IL
public ownership for continuous and per
petual public benefit?
, l agree heartily with "Citzen's" re-
quest for an investigation of the work
ings of the land laws, and a reconside
ration of the whole subject to the enc
that the public lands may be managed
for the best interests, financially, and il
civic way, of the territory.
OBSERVER.