The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-11-28
PRATT SAYS
SOMETHING

HILO, Nov. 24.-Following are ex-
tracts from a letter written by Land
Commissioner Pratt to the Osorio Set
Element Association:
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
f'The law allows agricultural land to
be- leased for but five (5) years Cor
gsnic Act, Sec 73), but also allows the
Individual to take out right of pur-
CHASE lease for term of twenty-one
(RD years.
"Now, what is there to prevent a
blantation corporation from employing
n body such as yours, consisting of 80
Jmembers, to take up Oease) one hun
n dred acres each, of fine cane land, the
Y plantation paying the rental Through
the settlement association, and there
by obtaining the use of 5000 acres of
fine land for period Of twenty-one
years at nominal rental and finally
obtaining ownership at a nominal fig
ure, for you can not but admit that the
appraised value for settlement purposes
Gas against the actual cash value of
these lands, on an open market) is
merely nominal. This shows necessity
of the discretion allowed the Commits
sioner of Public Lands and the Cover
nor under Section 329.
AS TO AREA.
"It is my business to know and to
decide what area a man, or a man and
family, can handle, and also the area
that is necessary to insure an indie
pendent income, as you say.
Experience will also teach you that
there are 50-acre lots and 50-acre lots,
and that it is not the area so much as
the soil, contour, elevation, water, wind,
roads and general adaptability of the
particular land for particular, or for
general purposes, that 60 to insure an
independent income
CITIZENSHIP.
i "It is just as you state, with this
exception: / use the words 'all quail
fed citizens and you desire to benefit
<some qualified citizens when you ask
that Hakalau lands be opened solely
Z for the benefit of your settlement as
ISOLATION
NEEDED SAFEGUARD.
"'Applicants to submit satisfactory
proof that they are ready and capable
to maintain the present high state Of
cultivation and production Of the land. ,
"This is in the interest Of the coun-
TRY as a whole; our financial condition
is such that every safeguard must be
! taken to insure production from all
land capable of producing. If you and
ii your associates are capable of keeping
up the production of the land you
should be willing to show your means
Y and proud to be able to do 30.
If you are simply spectators who
propose to take up the land and then
far IN it out to Orientals on shares until
the time comes when you can get your
patents and sell out to the corporations
alta good profit, you will probably con-
tirue to object to condition No. l."
SHIPWRECK RECORD.
T. G. Thrum is usually correct in his
wrecks he has prepared for the authori-
y lished in the Advertiser, an error ap-
pears in the line referring to the wreck
I of the Am. whaleship Tamerlane, on
East Point, Hawaii, February Z, 1892.
Luther Severance, who keeps a record
of such occurrences, states that there
were eighteen lives lost in the wreck.
When the ship struck and her breaking
up was inevitable the captain, first and
second officers and fifteen men got into
boat and were lost. The rest of the
crew stood by the ship and looking into
I the sea one of the men saw a chance
! to get ashore on the wreckage. The at
Y tempt was successful and the fourteen
I men who had remained by the ship
, reached shore safely and came to Hilo.
He also omits to mention the loss of
the bark Wetmore off Wainaku in 1895.
Hawaii Herald.
BUSINESS AT THE COAST.
R. /. Lille returned from San Fran
cisco on the Enterprise on Tuesday.
He says that business there is not over
(ly brisk, the merchants feeling the
slack due to the close of the Alaska
Y season and the cessation of war in the
East. Another thing that is working
I something of hardship is the boycott
of American goods in China.
z An instance is related of Chinese
Representative of a California firm be-
! ing sent to China with an American
made photograph. 1t seems that the
Chinese got on to the make of the in
strument and mobbed the firm repre-
sentative and broke the machine.
RACES AT HoNoKAA.
I The North Hilo folk intend celebrat-
4 ing New Years day as it used to be
[ celebrated here by witnessing some
! good racing events. DR.. Jones, honor
rAry secretary of the Honokaa Racing
Association, writes to the Herald that
NE arrangements for the day are in
process of formation and that an excel
I lent meeting is expected. The new as
ISOLATION has an active membership and
the officers, as named in the Herald
/ last week, are men who will make the
. affair credit to Hamakua district.
ITEMS.
y A japanese residing at Twenty-Five
Miles, Olaa, took his life Wednesday by
! hanging himself with the sash of his
Z Kimono. Deputy Sheriff Fetter and
Officer Yotaro went up and viewed the
! body and decided it clear case of sui
! eide. He was stranger but his pass
port, year old, gave his name as
I Katazo Yaode.
T, Hilo is expected to do something to
counterfeit the influence of Eben Low in
! his efforts to have the meeting of the
graziers N Honolulu.
/. The steamer Enterprise is on the