The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-05
FIXES
HIGH VALUES
Says Sugar Land
Is Worth $500
an Acre.
GOVERNMENTS
CASE IS CLOSED
The Manager of the Honolulu
Plantation First Witness for the
Bishop Estate.

Three hundred dollars an acre is the
valuation placed on the greater part of
the Bishop Estate land, condemned by
the United States for the Pearl Harbor
station, by ]. A. Low, the first of the
witnesses for the respondent. He quail
fed this statement by saying that the
price given referred only to SS7 acres of
cane land.
The government rested yesterday
morning without putting on any addi-
tional testimony, and then followed a
day of argument and clubbing over the
| Introduction of certain evidence, until
finally the court demonstrated and said
that no further delay would be brooked,
and the case must proceed more ex-
peditiously.
The plaintiff closed with the admis-
sion of certain facts by the respondents
as to the exact acreage of the land TAX
en-, introducing a map for this purpose.
1t was conceded that the land outside
of Kuahua Island was comprised of 617
acres, while Kuahua Island is admitted
to be 1872 acres in extent. From the
area on the mainland is to be subtract
ed a strip one hundred feet wide. which
by agreement is allowed to remain in
possession of the Bishop Estate for
right of way. 1t is further admitted
all this land is leased to the Dowsett
Estate excepting 4S.S acres which still
remains with the Bishop Estate. These
admissions were accepted with the pro-
viso by the court that in the event of
any error the figures could be rectified
later.
The plaintiff having closed Mr.. Kin
ney moved that the evidence relating to
the tax returns made by the Bishop
Estate trustees be stricken from the
records, and the jury instructed to dis
regard such testimony. The motion was
based on the fact that the law provided
an assessment value of eight times the
annual rental and the evidence of
Deputy Assessor Archer was that he
knew of this. The court refused to
grant the motion.
]. A. Low, manager of the Honolulu
Plantation, was then sworn as the first
witness for the respondent and was on
the stand for the entire day. He said |
he had been in the sugar business for |
twelve years and had observed the land |
in question upon the Bishop Estate |
nearly every day for some time. For |
the past three years he said he had |
been making experiments with the soil !
on land Of similar nature, and also eX-
amined this land before it had been |
leased by the Honolulu Plantation co. I
He stated that he had gone over it |
digging holes at stated inter-
walls. and in that way ascertaining the
depth and character of the soil. This |
soil had been analysed and compared |
with that of the Eva Plantation and
after he had obtained the opinions of
various sugar managers he leased it,
To the question by Mr.. Kinney as to
what this land was capable of produc-
ing Mr.. Dunno objected on the ground
that it had never produced anything.
and il was common knowledge that /
sugar lands differ in availability and |
productiveness. This question of adj
mission was argued for nearly two
hours by opposing counsel and the court
at the afternoon session allowed the
witness 10 answer.
Mr.. Lows reply was that land of this
character would raise three crops of
sugar in fifty months, and that the land
would average from sixty to eighty tons
If cane per acre. Witness estimated
he value of the sugar land. $50 acres in
Ill. at $500 per acre. He made no esti-
nate of the value of Kuahua Island and
said it was but two feet above the sea
evel.
The court refused to allow the admis-
ion Of evidence that Dr. McGrew want
ID to sell his land for $1,000 an acre. or
# rental value of land adjoining or
lear that of the Bishop Estate. The at
orneys had been arguing about mat
ers of evidence, and quoting authori-
lies all day and Judge Estee refused
20 hear argument from Mr. Kinney on
he question of rentals. Mr. Kinney
hen noted an exception adding that the
curt had overruled the question and