The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-20


right to take it at the valuation he has
put upon it for taxes with an additional
10 per cent of that value This gives us
a better tax valuation and at the same
time it provides an easy way for the
Government possession of the land
That is rather hard on the taxpay
ers, it seems to me-" said 1.
Yes, it may seem so, but remember
we do not take possession of estates un-
less it is for the undoubted good of the
people. So far we have taken very lit
tie land by forced sale. We have more
estates offered to US than we want
Last year fifty-seven properties
amounting in all to $4,000 acres, were
offered to the Government. of these
about half have been declined or with
drawn and of the remaining 10000
acres under consideration just about
100000 have been recommended for pur-
chase"
In talking with one. of the officials
about the new land settlements was
told how the Government acquired one
of the largest of its new estates. The
land belonged to a man named Ready
Money Robinson He had bought a
large part of it more than half cen
fury ago, paying a little more than 81
an acre for it. Altogether about 10000
acres were in the tract, comprising some
very rich agricultural territory which
was at the time devoted to sheep-rais-
ing. The assessed value Of the land
was equal to s1,500,000 which was just
5000, 900 more than the owner thought it
ought to be taxed. He objected and the
Government thereupon took possession
of the land upon his valuation. with 10
per cent added. The land officials re-
surveyed the estate and divided 1t up
into farms of from fifty to one hundred
acres each and of pastoral ranches of
from five shundred to three thousand
acres. They laid out a town site and
three village sites and then built a
railroad through the estate. Altogether
they spent about $500 600 In opening It
up and then offered the lands to the
people. They were rapidly taken up
upon the usual Government terms, and
at the end of six years the Government
was receiving 51a per cent on it's ex-
penditures. Instead Of a big sheep
ranch the estate was made up of small
farms. Land formerly used for graz
ing was yielding forty-five bushels Of
wheat to the acre and there were II 600
acres of it in English grass. Aside
from the agricultural development more
wool and mutton was being shipped
from the estate than when it was all
devoted to sheep. In the neighborhood
of $4,000 sheep and lambs are still ex-
ported from it every year. When the
Government took that estate the en-
ployes upon it numbered something like
% a n
200 people and it is spotted with pref
ty farm homes, with school houses here
and there
PUBLIC LANDS A PUBLIC TRUST.
In a chat with Mr.. Edward Tregear
I asked him how he could reconcile the
action of the Government in forcing the
estate owners to give up their lands
with the rights of property. He re-
piled:
1--WE do not look upon land as upon
other property. Land should belong to
the state. 1t is given to it by the Lord,
to be held in trust for the people. 1t
is all right for a man to own the i'm
provements he makes upon the land and
to be allowed To sell them or 10 lease
them to his descendants. but as to the
ldHu ktStll upu tliilIh IOu tNti III
tended any one man to own vast
tracts for all time, or to allow him to
say this land shall be the property Of
his children and grandchildren to the
tenth generation.
Take for instance man like Ad-
miral Dewey. He did a great thing
when he defeated the Spanish in the
bay of Manila and your Government
ought to feel grateful to him. l should
think it all right if It expressed fits
gratitude in honors and presents. Sup
pose it gave him a million dollars as a
reward for his services. That would be
all right. but it would not be right for
it to grant him and his descendants
100. 900. acres of land. This would be
equal to a pension of 100000 a year
to his descendants for all time to come.
1t would be mortgaging the property
of future generations. 1t would be rob
bling posterity of it's rights. / don't
think the Government has any more
/ right to sell large tracts of land than
| it has to give them away. The ideal
method would be for the Government
to own the land and lease it, and that
is what we some day hope to accom-
plish here. AS 1t is now, think we
have dissipated the hopes Of those who
wish to build up great estates for fam