The sun., 1905-10-22

has undergone q decline. Al present tho
native demand for rice II met largely ny
Importation. Yet there II no doubt that,
with tho development of the islands, they
should become able to furnish large
amount Of this food staple. We are re-
minded that In Hawaii the sugar industry
has increased remarkably since tho an.
nexatlon Of the archipelago to the United
States. At present sugar furnishes ~
per cent. Of the agricultural products and
constitutes II per cent OF the total In
dustrial activity In the Hawaiian Islands,
VII.
From the cha pter devoted to an exposi-
ton OF the different methods Of dealing
with land which have been adopted by dif-
ferent countries In their colonial possess
sions. we learn with interest that In Tuntsia
the door to a gradual Transformation and
settlement Of property rights has been
opened by the introduction OF the Torrens
system Of land registration. This system
not only makes titles certain and convey
ances easy but furnishes simple method
by which the natives may gradually as
similato their land holding to that which
obtains under European laws. Any ma
tive oocupier Of land in Tunisia who de-
sires to fortify his tenure may, after the
satisfaction Of all intervening claims Sc
cure a title establishing individual prop
erty with complete power Of disposition.
At the same time no attempt has been made
to force the natives to have their titles
thus made definite and certain. The OBJ
vious and great advantage of the Torrens
system, when applied to tropical coloniza-
tion, Is that it renders possible the gradual
supercedure OF native forms Of land hold
ing by a system based upon fully recog-
nized, precisely defined and absolute pri-
vate ownership, certified authoritatively
in cheap, clear and simple title deed
As IL L. optional, it does not interfere Of
native population. Where the system is
adopted, the law generally requires that
all ooncess ions, grants and conveyances
to non-ndires shall be thus registered.
As the advantages Of having clearly de-
fined title are gradually perceived, the
natives Of their own accord come to desire
the application Of the Torrens method of
and registration.
The public land system in the Philippine
Islands is modelled partly on the homo
stead laws OF the United States. Any citi-
zen Of the United States or of the Philip
pine Islands may enter homestead Of not
e exceeding sixteen hectares Ia hectare is
nearly two and half acres) of agricultural
land; after five years Of continuous resi-
denoe upon and cultivation Of the land
q patent is issued to the occupant Por-
tions Of the public domain may also he sold
to citizens or corporations Of the United
States and the Philippine Islands, but not in
tracts exceeding sixteen hectares for an
or /, ,o24 hectares for corpora
ton; the area limit was fixed by an act Of
Congress, and is not favored by the Philip
pine Commission itself, which considers
the maximum too small for plantation enter
prses. The land selected by the applicant
is to be appraised by the bureau of public
lands, but not at less than ten Philippine
silver dollars per hectare, and is then put up
at public auction. Provisions are also
made for the lease Of public lands at a min
mum rental of fifty centavos per hectare,
and per year.