The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-03-05

public lands of Hawaii by a commits
sion viii be done at this session OF
Congress. This was settled by the ac-
! ton of the Senate committee on Pacific
| Islands and Porto Rico at it's meet
ing Monday. when the Hansbrough
bill, providing 70. the extension'or the
present public lands system of the
United States to the Islunds was not
even considered. To emphasize the
matter the OPT ion of the interior De-
partment IL that there can be no abso-
lutey careful or comprehensive legis-
lation without such Investigation.
There is now before the Interior. De
partment a bill Introduced in the Sen
at the request of Delegate Wilcox
(which was sent to the public lands
committee, and by that body sent on
to the department, which Will bring In
the shape of recommendation the full
views of Commissioner or Public Lands
Herman. This means the view when
will prevail should there be legislation
on the subject without any more COM
plete understanding, and for that rea-
son becomes more valuable, though it
must be understood that there are
points on which the commissioner is
still ready to hear argument and
weigh 1t, before, even framing MS rec
concentration. Commissioner Herman
talked to me very freely on the mat
ter, and said at the beginning, and
often thereafter, that In the filling up
of the public lands and the encourage
ing of full citizenship only, lies the
hopeful future of the Territory of Ha-
wall. He said:
I'VE would find great difficulties
should there be an extension of the
public lands acts to the Territory with
out some changes, for the conditions
which obtain there are so greatly diff
ferent from those which have brought
about the laws now governing the pub
lie lands of this country There, so
many conditions of fertility and pecu-
liar fitness for several products, that
it would be folly to attempt to apply
our conditions to the Islands. / have
had great interest in the land ques-
tons of the Islands, and l am still
gathering all the information that I
can. | believe that the only way that
we can act finally with justice, will be
to send commission to investigate
the entire question and report to Con-
SreSS upon the lands, their variety and
fitness for various purposes and what
sort of lands will best preserve to the
people the public domain.
II would say from my studies that
the lands would have to De divided in
to several classes First, there would
be the fertile and highly valuable
lands, which lie close to and are wa
tered by the streams in the various
Islands, the lands which are capable
of high cultivation. These are or such
a character that a few acres would
offer all the opportunities for cultiva-
ton which could be awaited of by one
family, and it might be found that
there should not be more than twenty,
or even ten acres, given to one holder.
In many instances, perhaps, the tracts
would lie so that the divisions could
include the smaller amount of such
land, with an adequate amount of less
fertile lands to place with these, so
as to make good homestead for a
family. After these would come the
lands which are susceptible of little
cultivation; lands which might afford
forage for cattle, and nothing more,
and in such cases there would have to
be larger amount given to induce
homesteaders to take up the lands.
Perhaps II might be found that there
would only be a fair division should
these lands be cut up into homes of
500 acres each. Then would come the
lands which are capable or irrigation,
and there again in Justice to the home
steaders there would have to be
new division as to acreage made, and
the lands might be found to be best
capable OF supporting the people when
given in 100 or $50 acres to each.
These are only the sizes which occur TO
me as possibilities, and are not TO be
taken as my final decision, even with
the information at hand but i give
them as n ground for discussion. An
other class of lands to which I would
give much attention, is the forest
lands. There must be close attention
paid to the preservation and extension
of the forests in the Islands, and the
first duty OF the lands administration
would be the taking of steps to set
aside reserves. and provide for the
care of the forests, and FOR the preser-
walton OF the water supply.
LAS to the class of lands which are
useful only when there is irrigation
possible. a bin now before the Congress
may have something to do. 1t Is pro-
posed in the bill introduced by Sena-
tor Warren, to set aside the monies
received from public lands in the arid
States and Territories for the purpose
of providing storage reservoirs and
canals, for the distribution OF the wa
ter so stored over the lands. This is
one of the ways in which II is thought
that the Congress will give the money
needed for an irrigation of the lands
without any direct appropriation, or
course, II amounts to the same thing
In the long run, for the most of the
lanuS now owned by tne government
lie in the arid States, so called. II
may be that In the adoption OF this
plan for the reclamation OF the west
ern lands there will be formed a basis
for the caring for the lands of Ha-
wall which are I'm need OF Irrigation.
AS TO the lands which are now held
under lease by the large corporations.
more information is necessary before
one could give an absolute opinion as
to the plan to be followed, Speaking
generally, | should say that there
would be necessary In the homestead
agreements a clause allowing the leas-
ing OF lands for a fair rental value for
the purpose OF cultlvating cane, or
perhaps, such clauses as would permit
the homesteader to grow cane under
an agreement with the plantation own
er without residence upon the land. but
In contiguty to H. There would be
necessary some such plan TO prevent
the assembling OF large tracts In the
hnnlA Of The nlnnInI lnnh- or nlnn nom