The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-30
VALUE
ON LAND
Fifty Dollars an
Acre is a High
Price.
FIVE DOLLARS
FOR SOME ACREAGE
interesting Testimony in Pearl
harbor Case Before the
Federal Court.

Five and fifty dollars an acre was the
range of value placed by the govern
ment witnesses on the Bishop Estate
land condemned for the Pearl Harbor
naval station yesterday. The returns of
the trustees to the tax assessor in
dictate an even less valuation-three
dollars an acre and the highest price
given yesterday is one-twelfth that
asked by the respondents. Probably the
most interesting feature of the day was
waiia- law fixed the value of property
taken by condemnation. at not more
than twenty per cent in excess of the
assessed valuation. The ruling was
qualified however by the statement that
the court would construe this law very
literally and allow evidence by the de-
PENDANT to counterfeit such valuation.
Even from the government witnesses
the Bishop Estate attorneys drew some
admissions of a much greater value on
similar sugar lands in the Eva basin,
though they stuck obstinately to their
valuation of not to exceed fifty dollars
an acre, on the condemned land. The
low valuation of s12, 1876 placed upon the
land by the trustees was sought,to be
counteracted by the showing that it
was the general practice to value lands
at eight times the annual rental. Later
a lease is to be introduced showing that
the Dowsett Estate has a long lease for
$500 year, and is responsible for taxes
upon the value OF that lease. The valu-
alton at eight times the rental value
would have been but 81 .2eO for the land.
or less than the amount returned. The
valuation of s12.496 is upon over 1000
acres, including the six hundred acres
in dispute.
DR.. ]. S. McGrew was the first wit
ness for the government yesterday
morning. He qualified as an expert, by
stating that he had lived here thirty
six years and had visited Pearl Harbor
about twice a week. II think the piece
about five dollars an acre. said the
witness. 1T is mostly lava rock with
little soil, and don't believe it is worth
that much, except to the United States
government McGrew thought some
of the cane land was worth fifty dol
lars an acre, but he declined to put
on cane land generally. The
witness on cross-examination said he
did not know of any sales of cane land
at fifty dollars an acre within the past
five years. The doctor thought that
lands that were of very little value be-
fore, suddenly increased in value with
Annexation brought sta
bility." he said, the boom values of
lands are going down again now. 1
don't think we are going to have any |
more booms in sugar. We are getting |
too many new possessions where sugar !
can be raised
FIVE DOLLARS AN ACRE.
George f. Boardman, the second land |
expert put on the stand by the govern |
ment, did not have even as roseate views |
Of the condemned property did DR.. |
McGrew. Five dollars an acre was all |
he thought it was worth, but with the !
wharfage he raised his figures to $50 to |
so an acre.
THE land is rocky" said this witness. |
much stone was taken from 1t for use 1
as ballast by the railroad. AS specula- /
ton by a private Individual / would con- /
slider s. an acre throwing away money /
for the land on the right of the railroad. /
| have visited the main body OF land anu /
been around it on a launch. The water |
front certainly enhances its value, but !
consider so to S25 acre good price, |
with the water privileges. 1 wouldn't /
give anything for it for grazing. Years |
ago I intended to promote sugar plan
tation down there, and examined it, but !
found the land to be vaiuelcss for that !
purpose"
on cross-eXamination witness said he |
give - an acre for the land |
without the waterfront, which he thought /
was about half a mile in length. On re-
direct examination he said that this was
onIy guesswork. tThe respondents allege |
that there is nearly three miles of water
front)
ASSESSMENT FIGURES.
The introduction of the assessment
blanks filed by the Bishop estate for the
past four years brought about an inter
.sting legal fight in which Judge Estee
an opinion upon some of the
yexiug law points in the case. Mr.. Kin
ley objected TO the introduction OF these |
taxation figures. unless he was allowed
10 show by the assessor that the law per
mitted the return of property at eight
times the rental value. and I'd, the /
in question was under long
ease to the Dowsett estate for $500 a
year The Court refused to allow testi-
nony on this point holding that all the /
~ frvol,a1 would no pxpla