The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-31
COST or CLEARING paoEIsITlvt
HARD FACTS RELATED IN HILo
COFFEE SHOP TALK 81
STAR soARoERs.
Land is Cheaper For Cane Culture
Than Anything Else-The Irriss-
ton Problem, = Modification Of
Land Law Required.

Eve watched vessels coming into
this hsrbor for sometime" said the
Pilot. -and I've often stood on the
beach and wondered Why Master
stood so far 70 the north OF south in
stead Of coming into the channel
without delay. but that experience OF
mine on the carrolton vas the best
answer to that vexed problem that
eyer had. WHY. | was on board OF
her for twelve days without getting
wind enough to go anywhere near the
channel II was tedious. but we
could do nothing without wind"
If you had the last Legislature al
your back you might have come in ali
right" said the Cheerful Liar. There
was wind enough furnished by that
body to carry a vessel through the
ice To the North Pole
And il had mighty little force.
said the Early Riser. though al
times II had the appearance Of gale
But the Legislature is pau. ! hope.
even though the Acting Governor has
expressed a wish to extend the ses
sion fifteen days. Some good was
done for Hawaii, but not much
would have liked 10 had something
done with the land laws, so that the
purchasers in tae new Olaa tract
could have been induced to retain
their holdings instead of giving up
as learn they intend doing. Out OF
the whole number who bought lands
IN that tract last September not more
than thirty per cent will hold the land
and cultivate II. for the reason that
the expense of clearing and planting.
added TO the cost OF land. makes II
impossible for most purchasers tc
comply with tLe conditions. am not
sure. but | think the Legislature had
the power TO change the conditions
unon which the land could be bought
1 know one OF the men up there has
been trying for two weeks to make
contract TO have his land cleared. and
the best he could do is s125 an acre
Add 10 that 500 an acre for the land
and you find you are paying a pretty
stiff price for Government land. Then
there are conditions which would be
dlficult for some of the purchasers
10 fulfill All these coupled together
will force a number of desirable pur-
chasers TO give up their holdings and
wait until an opportunity Is offered 70
get land on a more desirable basis.
Take the Turner land at eleven miles
II was offered at fair price and was
already cleared. practically on the
line OF the Hilo railway. and within
three miles OF the mill. That land
Is infinitely cheaper for the cane grow
or than the Government land at tbs
price Il brought az auction. You may
talk as you please and you may ex-
pertinent all you want and sink money
in doing so-the fact remains that ex
cept for cane the land is almost use
less. Being virgin soil II Is filed with
enemies to vegetables OF almost every
description. and unless man can
watch with a dog and shotgun the
slugs and cutworms viii eat ap every
thing planted before Il gets three In
ches above the ground Then there Is
the question OF water. Hawaii's
climate is not what Il Was few
years ago; then we had more rain
than was needed. now we have
periods when il is needed badly, and
unless the land happens 70 be on the
line Of the Oiaa fume what is the
owner 10 do for irrigations These
conditions should be taken into con-
sideration by the Government. and the
land law modified to meet the change.
In so far as the results 10 the Terri
tory are concerned there would be lit
tie difference. Settlers are wanted.
and the Government will secure q
better class and have the property
developed much sooner II the condi-
lions are changed. :"
81 af,p rrfft - al -s~kt l., .f...,
said the Cheerful Liar. The Porto
Rieans viii solve that problem in
little while. was talking TO Manager
AeStocker only the other day and he
told me that in order to test the value
OF the new arrivals as laborers he put
gang OF them in the same heid with
the japanese. The latter never work
ed so hard since the plantation started
and in spite OF that they could no,
keep up with the Porto Ricans. he
says that as they get used to he elm
ate they improve rapidly the only
trouble is the plantations cannot get
them fast enough. As soon as the
Porto Rieans begin 10 come En guam
titles the labor problem viii be sciv
ed. There Is che thing. however. thar
must be considered BY the people
Each one Of these people am told.
costs TIC plantations about s2oe: they
are brought here for the purpose Of
easing the diflcnlfy that Is being ex
perienced On every plantation. and
do aos think Il is right for ether
persons wanting labor 60 EMPLOY
those who hare steady work on plan
tationE. There viii be pisatv Of
them here nfEnr awhile and then yor
can have xouT land cleared for less
money than Is aoH asked. Aroand
the Coifee Shops 10 Hawaii Herald
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