The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-27
THE LAND QUESTION.

/ judge from the message that was sent
by you to Congress that you nave a
strong desire to bring about a system OF
small farming by Americans, and that
this viii be induced by extending to Ha-
wall the land laws of the United States.
The object sought is desirable, but 1t
seems to me that the remedy suggested
would, in large part. defeat the object
sought.
L have already indicated to you the
experiment made by the Eva Plantat ton,
and L suggest that you consider that in
connection with this land question.
A system of laws has grown up at the
Islands which at the time of anneXa ton
had become well adapted to the conGi-
tons there existing. The present system
was passed in 1885, largely through the
fundamentally of the then President of
the Republic, Mr.. Dole, who is now the
Governor of the Islands.
The difficulty at the Islands Is not the
laws, but in inducing white people TO go
there and take up land.
The United States land laws I DO not
think are adapted to the Islands, for this
reason, among others: The lands of Ha-
wall are in large part small and scatter
ed, irregular in shape, cut up by gulches
either dry and incapable of irrigation,
except at enormous expense, or else COW
cred with dense forests and remotely sit
uated, thus being inaccessible except at
available the government would first be
forced to make roads to the upper lands
and either itself develop or aid in deYel-
op.ng some system of irrigation, because
the expense would be too great for any
individual to take up Necessarily this
would be of slow growth.
l think that if the United States Iani
laws were extended to Hawaii the land
would be located by spectators, and as
soon as a title could be obtained, 1t would
be sold to some corporation. This is the
very thing TO be avoided, If the land IS
to be settled, as 1 judge would be your
wish by small farmers.
Another reason why the land laws OF
the United States do not seem to me
adapted to the Islands is that the Ha-
waiian lands now brought under cultiva-
ton are so much more productive and
valuable than q corresponding quantity
of land in the United States. Hence, the
amount any individual should be allow
ed 20 locate should be restricted to
much smaller quantity than permitted in
the United States, and a higher price
should be charged for the land in order
or the cost OF roads and irrigation
bitches. The Speculator should not be
permitted TO get it al S1.25 per acre and
tuLn 1t over to some corporation for 4
price which ought to so IN part to re
imburse the government for expenditures
made.
At present the lands on the Islands are
thoroughly classified uude- their land
laws. There are three classes If agri-
cultural lands, two of pastoral lands. and
different prices are charged for each
class. The forest lands, 100 are all
classified
The Hawaiian law has cen framed by
reason of the peculiar ooeditions there
existing, and ii is adapte5 10 ali classes
and conditions of people rho desire to
take up lands.
If any changes are 10 ade. I think
a commissioner should L s II ont to ex-
anime the existing conditions before such
changes take place.
The government there < co1stantlz-
laying out tracts for the settlement Of
hoinesteads and going to great expense
TO make these lands accessible. other
iands not yet capable OF utilization will
IN time become available and in mean
Tune the government has found it wise