The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-07-07
GOVERNOR
WILL co
TO lanai
Gay May Not Get
the Whole
Island.

Gov. Dole and Land Commissioner
! ed, will make n trip to Lanai about
the middle of this month, on the
1roQuois. to decide upon what shall be
done with the government lands on the
little island. Captain Rodman OF the
Iroquois has very kindly placed that
vessel at the disposal Of the Governor
for the purpose. though the trip will
probably not be made until after the
arrival of Admiral Terry, the new COM
mandant.
The Governors visit is to be made
for the purpose of considering two ap-
plications for Lanai lands. Chas. Gay
who now owns two-thirds Of the island
has made application for the lease Of
the remainder, which comprises some
of the best land on the island. L. r..
Pinkham and others have also made
application for the land, with the in
tention of starting ssal plantation.
but 1t is thought that the two en-
terprises are in some way connected.
Governor Dole is reported as being OPP
posed to the idea of placing an entire
island under the control Of one man, as
is sought by Mr.. Gay. There are other
bitches in the matter, however. which
are likely to interfere with the growing
of ssal upon Lanai.
The lease on n considerable portion
of the land now under control OF Chas.
Gay is about to expire. Most or this
land was leased for n term of twenty
one years to Hayselden and Gibson as
pastoral or grazing land. Gay now
wants to renew this lease and. II sue
cessful himself intends to start sisai
plantation on a large scale. He wants
the twenty-one year pastoral lease re-
newed. This Is where the difficulty
comes in. If granted lease of Lanai
for pastoral purposes, and the land
used for something else, the lease VIII
be forfeited to the government.
Gov. Dole and Land Commissioner
Boyd have decided that sisal growing
is using land for agricultural purposes.
and IL the sisal plantation should pc
started. the lease would be forfeited to
the government. On the other hand no
agricultural land can be leased by the
government for n longer term than hVe
wears. The man who wants to grow
sisal won't take a lease OF That KIND
however, as It takes four years for the
first sisal crop to mature, and conse-
auently just about the time the land
begins to bring in q profit, some other
man is likely to step in and bid the
property away. for the next five years.
Land Commissioner Boyd is now try
ing to find some way by which the
land can be disposed of so as not to
discourage sisal growing. Among the
plans being considered by him is to Of
fer 1t for sale in 500 and 1000 acre lots
under special agreement. or to sell 1t
outright in tracts Of less than one
thousand acres.
The land which the government now
has at its disposal Is said to be the
best on Lanai, being practically the
only tract which is supplied with wa
ter. The government also has large
tract which is held by Gay under
tenancy at will.
1t is the intention to invite whoever
Is interested in the taking of Lanai
lands for settlement or for sisal grow
Ing, to make the trip to the island.
Land Commissioner Boyd said yester-
day that the trip would probably be
made about the middle of the month.
II is doubtful II accommodations VIII
be provided for other than the official
Marty