The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-25
SMALL FARMERS
IN PILIKIA
LAND HOLDERS IN THE KONAS
- GIVING UP PRODUCTION
OF SUGAR.
SAID TO BE IN DANGER OF los
ING HOLDINGS.
Large Banana and Pineapple Plan
tation.

Several hundred holders of small
hOmesteads and other small tracts of
land in North and South Kona are in
danger of going to the wall, owing to
the sugar situation in those districts,
according to reports from Hawaii. For
many miles in the Konas there is a Sc
ries of small homes, a majority of them
held in fee by the occupants thereof.
1t is said to be one Of the best bits of
country on the Islands, and is an ex-
empihcation of the Small farmer
idea" Now it is said that because
they cannot longer raise cane, and
don't know what to profitably substi-
tute for it, they are likely to lose their
holdings.
In South Kona there is a vast acre
age of sugar cane which will very like
ly never be harvested. 1t was plant
ed in the expectation that there would
be a mill in the district. As there is
no mill and does not appear to be a
chance of any being secured for this
cane, the cultivation of it is being neg
lected by many of the small farmers
who had hoped to be part of a large
successful plantation.
The Kona Sugar Company's acreage
of cane is largely made up of patches
cultivated by private parties. This is
in North Kona, where nearly all the
land is held in absolute ownership. The
future of all these small holders is a
matter of uncertainty while the plan
tatiOn's fate hangs in the balance.
81 don't know what they are going
to do with the land" said Land Com
missioner e. S. Boyd, referring to the
South Kona small farmers, but they
seem to be giving up the sugar cane.
They were disappointed in the expec-
tation of a mill"
One use to which some of the land
may be put is for Camarinos' proposed
banana and pineapple plantation. Ca
marines is looking up the owners of
land, and says that if they will come
into the scheme the tract can produce
a million dollars a year. He visited
the district recently and declares that
ruin is ahead of practically all the
small farmers unless then find some
new product.
IT'S the finest bit of country I have
seen in the Islands," said CamarinOs
For twenty miles there's a panorama
of beautiful small homes, and it will be
a shame If they are lost to the owners.
Peope talk about wanting small farms
in Hawaii, and here's a district where
they have them and soon some big
holder will gobble them all up. The
cattlemen are after the land, and if
the farmers do not let sugar alone and
take hold of something else, they will
soon have to get out altogether.
"A country like this planted in pine
apples or bananas would produce more
money per acre than any of the sugar
plantations. There are good roads and
there is deep water to within twenty
feet of the landing. This district ought
to turn out thousands of punches of
bananas and great crops of pineapples.
There is plenty of market and we can
raise them as well as Cuba. We can
send them to New York or even Lon
don. If the Kona men don't do some
thing like this, the prosperity of the
district will die out and it will return
to the condition of a great cattle
range.
IF 1 have enough land, 1 could send
for some special plants, and there'd
soon be no more hard times in Kona.
For years I have tried to get good
land in Hawaii, but the sugar men got
it all. had one piece near Honolulu
and the Bishop estate took it from me
when my lease expired"