The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-25
THE OAHU
BAD LANDS
Waianae Tract Is
Held at a Low
Figure.
MUST BE KEPT
CLEAR OF LANTANA
Applicants for the 1000 Acres in
the Lualualei Tract on
This island.


the government to open up the tract
at Waianae prove successful, the 1000
acres of bad lands on Oahu will be
converted into tillable soil. Land Com
missioner Boyd is at present at work
Luaiualei tract which will be offered
| for sale at auction, and may be pur-
chased by any citizen of the Territory.
The men who petitioned the govern
ment to have the land thrown open as
second class pastoral land are Fred
| Meyers, Manager of Waianae Planta-
ton, Walter r. Coombs, Otto Schverdt-
| feger, Alva NJ HURT, Delbert E. Metz
| employed on the Oahu railroad or as
employed on the Oahu railroad was
ranchmen on this island. In their petit
| ton they ask that the lands be thrown
| open for sale at not more than one
dolar an acre, saying it is absolutely
valueless for agricultural purposes, and
| of little value for grazing. They say
it is the most arid land on the island,
adding by way of explanation: THE
Waianae plantation brings water into
| its cane land at a lower elevation than
| this land, but it is a constant great
expense, 1t is piped from artesian wells
to height of 200 feet and carried by
fiume distance of seven miles. The
original cost of this was $500, O0O''
1t is set out further that to allot the
land in small lots would be useless, as
without water nothing can be done, aad
| an individual could not afford to under
take the expensive irrigation.
1t is also claimed that the land is
unfit for use as homesteads, as it would
not support one man, if ne lived there
with his family, and the petitioners say
also they are working men, who wish
to expend their earnings in the develop
ment of the property.
In this connection the petitioners say:
ut is well known that this is the most
| arid land or the island, and we call
your attention to the statements of old
native Hawaiians, who tell us that in
years past when this island contained
an enormous native population, it was
necessary to till every particle of avail
able soil to raise sufficient vegetable
food for their subsistence, and while the
valleys and plains on either side were
thickly settled with small farmers, the
lands in this district were found to be
Inon-productive on account of their arid
ity, and were deserted, being generally
recognized as bad lands.
There is no water on the land ex-
cepting two small intermitting streams
having their source behind the hill inn
mediately in front of Kolekole Pass,
and which are fed by the TAIL ends
of rain clouds which pass through the
gap striking the hill, and precipitating
their moisture on the Eva slope"
The petitioners also offered 70 enclose
the entire area 1000 acres with fences
and agree to pay rent at the rate of
eight per cent a year on the purchase
price. They state also that the present
appraisement is too high and ask for a
commission to fix the value
Land Commissioner Boyd will offer
the lands for a sale within a month or
two under special agreements in Ions
not to exceed 500 acres each. At pres
ent the land is divided into LOO acre
lots, but under the organic act sales of
more than 1000 acres cannot be made
to one man, and so the smaller division
will be made. The upset price on the
various tracts will be from one to three
dollars per acre. as the land is value |
less for any purposes, unless water can
be obtained. lease formerly held by |
the Dowsett Estate has Just expired
ana now 1t is sought to interest men
VINO VIII eventually make their home
steads upon the land. For this purpose
water will be required and the present
applicants are DESTROYS of making ex-
periments with that end in view, The
land will be divided lengthwise SO each
tract will end at the mountain side tbe
mountain forests being reserved by the
government. The settlers will however
be permitted to tunnel into the noun
tains for the purpose of seeking a water
supply.
One of the conditions which will at
tach to the agreement is that the pur-
chaserS shall clear the land free of lam
tana. There must be at least twenty
hVe per cent of the lantana cleared /
away within two years and all must be
cleared of the pest within five wears.
Inc purchasers are to be given five
years in which to pay for the land
The Dowsett Estate, which formerly1
held the property under lease, used it
only during the season when the aIga-
roba beans were ripe, driving the stock
over the property at that time. This is
all the bad lands" can be used for,
until water is secured, and the pur-
chasers are expected to experiment with
artificial irrigation. At the present
time the land is not susceptible to
cultivation, but Land Commissioner
Boyd expects that before many years
have passed the bad lands" will be