Evening star., 1902-02-11
THEHAWAIIAN ISLANDS
A MEMBER OF THE LEGIsLATURE
TALKS ON CONDITIONS.
United States Land Laws Not Applica-
ble-Suffering for Labor and
From Drought.

Mr. w. III. Hoogs, a member of the first
legislature of the territory of Hawaii. from
the fourth district. has arrived in Wash
inston en- route for New York. He will re-
main at the national capital for several
days Discussing the conditions now OBJ
tanning in the Hawaiian Islands, Mr. Hoogs
today said:
Our people are deeply interested in the
proposition to apply the present United
States land laws to the islands, and there
Is much opposition. The land laws of the
United States are not applicable to the
conditions in Hawaii for the reason that
there are no large areas of public land at
the disposal of the territorial government.
II the United States land laws were ap-
piled in Hawaii it would work endless con-
fusion and tend to have the remainder of
the public lands pass into the hands of 4
very few owners. as there is not enough
arabic land on the islands to provide home
steads of 160 acres each to those desrous
OF acquiring such rights.
A Land Commission Suggested.
The country is of volcanic formation
and is broken up by numerous mountains
and ravines. the greater part Of it being
like Bill Nyes perpendicular farm stand
ing on edge. Our land problem is a most
serious one and the bill now before Con-
or much litigation, should it become law.
we will never get what we are entitled
to until Congress sends a commission to the
islands to look into and thoroughly inves-
tisate the conditions Should this Congress
send commission headed by such man
as the present land commissioner, Mr.. Bin
ger Herman, who has had a number of
years experience in the adjustment of land
controversies. l am sure, would get such Il
recommendation TO Congress that would en-
able us to get land law that would be
thoroughly satisfactory to the citizens of
Hawaii and enable us to fairly and impair
TALLY appOrtiOn the remainder of our pub
lie lands
"Any land laws that may be enacted for
us should have special features looking to
the preservation of the present forest lands
and the planting and caring for new for
ests that are so essential to the future well
fare and the development of the Hawaiian
Islands,"
Mr.. Hoogs declined to discuss the rumored
possible change IN the head of the terri
tCrial government
Il saw President Dole only few days
before l departed he said. land 1 never
saw him looking better
General Condition of the Islands.
Concerning the general conditions Of the
Hawaiian Islands, Mr.. Hoogs said:
I'VE are having a great deal of trouble
because of the shortage of labor. We can
not begin to farm our lands for lack of
labor. Chinese, japanese, Portuguese and
negroes make up the laboring element of
the Islands to a very large degree.
THE past year has been a bad one for
Hawaii. Probably not half a dozen sugar
plantations have made money, owing to the
scarcity of labor and rain. 1t has been
hard to borrow money because of this and
the territory suffered thereby. Then the
low price Of sugar has had its effect
''The United States government is MAX
Ing preparations for great amount Of
vrh - No. n
tion is certainly credit to the United
States. There are no finer navy wharves
in the world than those at Honolulu, which
were constructed under the direction of
Captain Merry.
THE dredgers for deepening the bar at
Pearl Harbor are no doubt at work by this
time. Everything was being gotten in
readiness about the time I sailed. The
dredging is the beginning of operations at
Pearl Harbor, which will include the navy
yard and coaling station"