The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-17

J. w. Pratt, Commissioner of Public
from a visit of ten days to Hawaii
which was crowded with business of
his department. He brings a cheering
report Of homesteads on that island.
the Board of Trade of that town, start
ed an official investigation of a land
transaction having the appearance of
wrong done to the Government, with
the result that the matter is TO be
referred to the Attorney General for
taking proceedings, if there is law for
it, to recover valuable property for the
benefit of the Territory.
Commissioner Pratt, complying with a
request for an account of his trip in
general, made statement as follows:
'I landed at Mahukona on the Eth
Aand that day inspected the homesteads
ssabove there in the mountains. The
same afternoon and evening drove
over to Waimea and on the sth went
through the Pukapu homesteads. That
afternoon I drove down to Honokaa.
Next morning I went through the
Ahualoa homesteads, upper and lower,
above Honokaa. That afternoon I
Travelled through to Hilo, arriving there
Saturday night at O'Clock.
"It rained nearly all through the
Journey on horseback and in wagon.
I was thoroughly drenched and had my
aneroid spoiled by wetting.
at spent the week in and about Hilo.
Accompanied by Geo. H. Williams,
sub-agent, and A. B. Loebenstein, sur
veyor. I inspected the Punahawai
homesteads on the Kaumana road.
t"There was a bad mix-up at Hilo to
be investigated. This had reference to
the Lyman right of purchase lease,
which was issued at a ruinously low
appraisal My attention had been CALL
ed to the matter by a protest of the
Hilo Board of Trade. There is a full
report of the affair in the Tribune. The
land was appraised at So an acre, when
it was easily worth SIS to $40 an acre.
''The trouble arose from not knowing
where the lines We're. Mr.. Williams
had to go by old maps that are incor-
rect. I shall put the matter in the
hands of the Attorney General to see
whether the lease cannot be Cancelled.
Generally speaking" Mr.. Pratt said
in answer to a question, "the home
steads are in very good condition This
is particularly the case with those in
Waimea, where the homes of the set
tiers are as nice as can be seen any
where. Corn and vegetables are thriv-
ing beautifully. and flowers abound
everywhere. All the crops are doing
well except Irish potatoes which have
been ruined by black blight. Other
wise the homesteads are model In
every respect.
preliminary arrangements have
been made for the appointment of a
new appraiser in Hilo district. One
application was received for the posi-
ton, the applicant being recommended
by the Board of Trade.
cit was a rough trip and raining
most of the time
According to the protest of the Board
of Trade, made through its president
E. N Holmes, right of purchase
lease was granted to Eugene H. Ly-
man for 81 acres of land, fronting on
Kaurnana road almost within the city
limits, at So an acre. The tract adj
Joins land of William Kinney for which
the owner had been offered prices
ranging from $50 to $50 an acre. Mr..
Kinney's land, indeed, is assessed at
$50 an acre and it is stated that he
'O~Q~OeO~ONOeO~ O~O~O~OO~O~C