The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-12-19
WILCOy'S LAND BILL
TT ENTIRELY UpsETs PRESENT
SYSTEM.
Makes Huo The Center of the New ore
der and Provides Liberal Salaries for
a Few officials.

DELEGATE WiocN has introduced q bin
i'm the House providing special code
of land laws for Hawaii His bin as
prepared divides the pubic lands into
four classes. The first Is made To cm-
brace an city and town lots, streets
alleys, parks, WharNes, landings and
suburban lands within distance of two
miles from the incorporated limits of
any city or town of 500 inhabitants and
upwards. The Secretary of the Interior
is authorized To establish such limits
where they do not exist Lands of the
second class shall embrace all public
lands which have been cultivated or
partly cultivated while under lease or
otherwise ana not exceeding one thou
sand feet above sea level, also all wet
lands known as kalO or tarO lands and
rice lands not exceeding one thousand
feet above sea level Lands of the third
class shall embrace all other public
lands at any elevation above sea level.
agricultural, pastoral, forest and waste
lands on all the principal islands which
may be I'm any manner adapted to do
nestle use and habitatiOn. Lands of
the fourth class shall embrace all public
lands ON the small outlying islands,
reefs and shoals which are not capable
of domestic use.
Much Of the bill is occupied with pro-
visions Tor organization. The entire
charge is placed with the Secretary of
the Interior, the executive duties being
placed with the Commissioner of the
General Land Office. The Territory of
Hawaii shall constitute one Surveyor
Generals district, his office to be at the
city of HilO. The salary of the Survey
er-General is fixed at $4,000, payable
quarterly There shall be two public
land districts, one with the office at Hilo
the other with a central office at Homo
lulu. The Hilo land district shall en-
brace nf m nd
the other district all the other islands
in the Hawaiian group. The salaries of
the registrars and receivers, one each
for each office, shall be $4,000 each. The
plan Of organizing these districts and
their employees is the same as now pre-
walls in the States.
Lands of the first class must be To-
Gated, selected described, listed and re-
ported to the President under direction
of the Secretary Of the Interior, for fur
Their action of Congess.
Lands of the second class shall be
surveyed according to the township
system, but when this system is not
practicable the lands shall be surveyed
into lots containing as nearly as pOssi-
BILE forty acres each.
Public lands of the second class
whenever 10000 acres have been sur
veyed, or more, shall be opened by
proclamation of the President and per-
SONS may apply Tor them and secure
the same on practically the same rules
as apply for the opening of public lands
here in the States The filing fee for
! these lands shall be 81 per acre and
upon the finel proof the further sum
of So per acre. No person shall be given
more than forty acres of land.
| Lands of the third class shall be sur
veyed as rapidly as possible. whether
under lease or otherwise. according TO
the township system, and subdiVided
into sections of $40 acres, and further
subdivided into forty-acre lots. The nj
ing fee for these lands shall be % cents
an acre and on final proof there shall
be further payment of Slips. No man
shall be allowed more than 100 acres.
A great deal of the bill is occupied in
describing who shall be entitled to
make homestead entries the restric-
tons being the same as apply in the
| States.
The bill provides that all leasing of
public lands shall cease. All existing
leases in conformity with law shall not
be impaired until the expiration of the
terms of such leases, but no tenancy at
will shall exist.
The Secretary of the Interior may di-
rect the location of sites for storage
| reservoirs upon any public land, in con-
temptation of the future needs of irri-
cation of other public purposes. The
bill also apprOpriates $4,000 to be inn
| mediately available for carrying out the
purposes Of the proposed law.