The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-13
AMERICAS HoMEsTEAOEss or
WHATT

TIE opening q the kioER and Co
uznehe strip q land in Oklahona
Territory containing = total Of 1860
homestezds brsagk1 forth ss.eoe
Applications soE the land OF course
$4,000 o. TIE applicants had to be
disappointed So great ~as the Num-
Der Of applicants that the Land OGes
set I'D = lottery, or land drawing. 50
that each and every applicant uighs
have an equal chance al securing 3
homestead All this shows that the
hunger for land and for rural home
steals in the United States has not
been appezsed. In the past twenty
years the drift OF the population OF
the country has been largely towards
the cities. although the Increase was
not 50 great from 1880 to 1900 a. Il
vas during the preceding ten years
particularly gratifying showing Of
the Oklahoma applications was that
many Of the applicants FOR home
stsads were from the cities This In
iicafes a willingness Of the town peo
PIE TO undertake the pursuit Of agricuI-
ture To many Of these a farm life
would be but & return to first princi-
pies. for a vast portion Of the urban
population had its origin in the coun-
try.
This record OF application for home
steads In Oklahoma should afford
good lesson for Hawaii. II nearly
10000 American citizens can be had
to make application for 1900 home
steads in Oklahoma how easy II would
be for the proper officials OF this Ter
ritory TO secure thousands Of indus
trious Americans to take up home
steads in this Territory. Oklahoma
ian produce corn. wheat, cotton, and
The fruits and vegetables or the tenn.
perate zone Hawaii can not only
produce all these but dozens of crops
which cannot be grown in Oklahoma.
TO say that an American cannot or
will not till the soil in tropical Ha-
vail is false. Hawaii never In all her
aistory has experienced such hot
weather as visits Oklahoma every
summer There are no cooling trade
winds to fan her sun-burned fields in
June. July and August. The heat for
lays and weeks at time ranges from
90 to los degrees in the shade while
50 degrees is the hottest registered
acre in a number OF years.
II Hawaii would only extend an in
yitation to American citizens TO come
acre TO secure homesteads there are
thousands and thousands OF industri-
Gus. educated white men and women
who would be glad TO accept the invi
tation
Just now some OF the leases on pub
tic land are expiring. What does the
.ocal administration propose to do
gith them? Attorney General Dole in
IN opinion rendered some time ago.
declared that Section 55 OF the Or
ganic Act limiting the amount Of land
that could be acquired hereafter by
any corporation to 1000 acres, did not
mean what it plainly says. and now
Acting Governor Cooper claims to
have received a letter from Secretary
Hitchcock affirming Dole's opinion
Under this ruling. according to the
organs OF the Territorial admlnistra.
ton, it is proposed to release one
tract of fourteen thousand acres Of
land to corporation. Other lands
are being leased and sold In such
manner that the corporations win get
possession OF them and the advent of
industrious and intelligent American
farmers and laborers made impossible.
Does any one presume TO say that il
Hawaii would show a disposition to
afford homesteads to any number of
the $4,000 applicants who failed to
secure them in Oklahoma. a con-
siderable portion Of the number would
not come to this Territory? Thou.
sands and thousands OF them would
come here and help to build up
great. and wealthy. and populous Ter
ritory and help to develop American
institutions Do we want such people
or do we want more Porto Ricans.
Japanese. Italians and others Of the
most ignorant and debased people to
be secured from the four corners OF
the earths
What with $4,000 Chinese and $4,000
japanese now in Hawaii as against