The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-05-19
CANNOT OPEN
PUBLIC LAND

oWell. the House Committee has
c;ven me chance to be heard, any
wav.,, said Land Commissioner Pratt
Yesterday. "And / think that the
House Will do justice to the depart
ments. The House stands for the
masses. as against the representative
of the classes. 1t is the mass of the
people who want the public lands open
I'd 70 settlement. rely upon the
Uouse to see that the Land Office is
placed in such position that 1t can
prepare to throw open the pubic lands
for settlers.
GAS the appropriations have been
cut down in the Senate, we cannot
open these lands. The law provides
that when We prepare to throw open
lands, we must lay them out IN tracts,
and lay out roads to them. How can
we do that, if we have not enough
money-if our Office is cut down TO
bare salariesi We cannot, in fact, with
this Office ana the survey Office treat
ed as they have been. 1t is out OF the
question.
"sNore than that, if these people are
true to their pledges of county gov
ernment, they must treat this ofhce IN
a more liberal spirit. 1t is the coun'
ties that will want their lands thrown
omen TO settlement. The counties will
want to get people, and to get people
they must have lands to offer them
And We cannot put any land on the
market. under the law, unless We car
lay it out properly.
UAnd, mind you, aside from this fea
ture of it, the desire that the people OF
the counties are bound to express tt
have the public lands thrown open te
settlement, this is not an office whose
work will be in any way affected by
county government-beyond being in
creased by it. This Office cannot be
touched, under the Organic Act. Coun
ty government merely means more
work-and to do that work properly
we must have money.
"The Senate Committee on Ways
and Means went to no head of de
partment to get his estimates of how
much would be required to run his of
fee. This is a revenue-produclng OF
fee, as the treasury is. What IS the
sense of cutting down an office that
produces revenuel There is just this
about it, if there is not more lib
eral provision made, there will be nj
revenue. We cannot earn it, literally
And what kind of economy is thati
"Here are some figures that l hav'
prepared for submission to the Hous
committee, and you are at liberty t.
give them the widest possible publicity
They are absolutely accurate, with tn
exception that the amounts under tn
heading, Appropriations, 1904 ses
sion,' was but half the amount stated
the appropriation being for one yeal
and we doubled it in figuring for cor
venience and uniformity.
Appropriations for the biennial pc
RODS, 1901 to 1907. Department of Pull
lie Lands: Appropriations, total, 100
session, $3s,1l0; 1903 session, $40, ,s45
1904 session, $25,sso; asked for, 100
session, S32,400; Senate votes, l9C
session, $26,sS0.
Appropriation for the Survey d.
partment since 1901: Appropriation
total, 1901 session, $72,750; 1908 Sc
sion, $74,30O; 1904 session, $40,43C
asked for, 1905 session, 10000; Sci
ate votes, 1905 session, $27, 400.
"Now, bear in mind, that the 100
appropriations are doubled here fC
convenience in figuring, those appr'
priations having only been made fC
one year, on the economy basis. w
consented to be cut then, the Territor