Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-07-21
FEDERAL LAND LAWS
AND LOCAL APPLICATION

Editor Evening Bulletin:-A Homo.
lulu paper sets forth the following as
an argument against Federal control
OF public land in Hawaii:
Those who are urging Federal con-
troll of Hawaiian public lands as q
means of bringing American settlers |
here do not include the Commission |
which framed the Organic Act, the
Commissioner of the General Land Of F,
fee or many of the Senators and Rep
resentatives who have given the sub
ject thought.
Under the Federal law the available
land would be thrown wide open to-
everybody, and people already here,
whether farmers or not, could obtain
large tracts subject to mild conditions.
Il would be possible for big land-own-
ers 10 stake out dummies and get the
best Of the public domain for grazing
or speculative purposes. Even the
Chinese here who have qualified as
American citizens could help them
selves: and under such circumstances
the bulk Of the vacant land would pass
into hands which are neither agricul-
t..al nor American in the sense pro
posed by the advocates of Federal con-
troll.
THE Hawaiian law under which the
wahiawa colony was organized can be
| used to establish typical American
colonies here. II is the only law ex-
tant that will answer that purpose.
The trouble with 1t lies in the admin
istration of the local land Office, not in
the law itself. Instead of setting aside
arabic tracts so that men could go from
here and organize mainland colonies to
occupy them, the Land Commissioners
has usually peopled the public domain
with associations OF spectators who
make no effort to do farming. That Is
why only about three per cent OF the
I Settlement Associations now holding
down land about Olaa are genuine
Given a Commissioner who really
wants to bring in white settlers and
who does not regard Americans as for
elgners, and white settlers will be
plenty enough here. They want TO
come now but all the encouragement
they get is a circular saying that coffee
is the only crop for the small farmer
and that at present It does not pay"
To any person informed as to the
Federal land laws and administration
thereof 1t would seem that the writer
of the above had snakes In his boots
: for nothing else would cause him TO
have such horrible visions OF land
: plumber and speculation under Fed
! eral control,
. Just the contrary would be the re-
, suit. The available lands would not be
. thrown wide open TO everybody-but
the land would all be surveyed and per-
! sons who wanted land would not be
compelled by circumstances and pres
ent official manipulation to take land
| In localities ill-suited to their pur.
! poses just because there 1t no more
J land surveyed and open to settlement
| us II now is in Hawaii.
! Most surely II would not be possible
, for big land owners to stake out dunn
! mics and get the best Of the public do
main for grazing and speculative pur'
: poses as is now being done and fol
J years has been done In Hawaii undel
. the present laws and under both thu
present and past administration.
That part OF the Hawaiian land ac
l authorizing settlement associations II
= u dummy promoter and any one who
knows anything at all knows 1t.
All the talk about colonizing Amer
lean settlers here under the settlemen
r association fake is hog wash" Amer
: leans do not want to be colonized
! They can't be colonized.
0 As to the Chinese who are made cit
5 liens by the Organic Act, they shoul'
& have all the rights OF any other citizen
q II they were good enough TO be mad
citizens they should be treated like
wise-although | doubt the prophet,
k OF increasing Aslatic influence or pop
: ulation In Hawaii.
o II Is the Hawaiian land law as wei
r ~ the local officers that should bea
= the blame OF the present condition q
I AFFAIRS, concerning public lands an
: the impossibility OF inducing Amerl
= cans 10 settle here, At most a perso
4 could only enter 100 acres and b
/ would he forever barred from enterln
n land again under Federal laws, No
4 so under Hawaiian laws, You are al
lowed To enter land again and agalr
prove up on one lot, sell Il and ente
n again as has been done right here i
Il Olaa aud elsewhere In the Territory