The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-21

In this paper I desire to discuss the
subject of the disposition of such pub
lie lands as are suitable for settle
ment purposes.
The Land Act of 1895 indicates a
pronounced policy toward the use of
such parts of the public lands as are
suitable for settlement, for the project
of increasing the number of small pro-
prietors who shall either own their
lands, or, under the homestead lease
system, control such lands as may be
taken up by them so long as they and
their descendants may occupy and use
them. Professor Alexander Is statement
of the public lands is briefly as fol-
lows:
Area, 1,72o,oeo acres, divided into
the following classes:
Waste lands, approximately 100000
acres.
Forest lands, approximately 100000
acres.
Grazing lands, approximately 4Oo,-
900 acres.
Agricultural lands, approximately
100000 acres.
Wet lands and sugar lands, approx
mately $4,000 acres.
am informed by the Commissioner
of Public Lands that the Government
now holds about $50, 548 acres of pub
lie lands not subject to leases, and that
out of this amount 10 per cent ap-
proximately, or about 1000 acres, are
now available for settlement as agri-
cultural and pastoral lands, and that
with necessary roads the proportion of
agricultural to grazing lands in this
area would be very largely increased.
Old leases are expiring from time to
time, thus constantly adding to the
extent of available lands suitable for
settlement purposes. do not pur-
pose to discuss the policy of using
lands hitherto occupied by the sugar
plantations in the cultivation of sugar
cane, for the settlement of small pro-
prietors, under the expectation that
such proprietors will continue the cul-
tivation of sugar cane thereon, to be
reduced to sugar on shares or pur
chased outright by the neighbbIing
sugar factories, but it would appear
from the figures given above that at
present and for a considerable time
to come the important enterprise of
establishing small proprietors on the
public lands can be carried on without
interfering with the operations of the
sugar plantations in relation to such
public lands as they have hitherto oe-
cupied under lease.
The immigration OF over thousand
Portuguese within the last few days
from the Azores has attracted much
interest, both here and at Washington,
and it must be regarded as an en-
terprise of great importance to this
country, and as one which, if success
full, is likely to lead to the introduce
ton of a larger number of similar i'm
migrants. The arrangements which
have been made to furnish those of
these immigrants who may be employed
by the sugar companies with small
holdings suitable for homes and the
cultivation of products to be consumed
by themselves and perhaps sold to
some extent, the fee simple of which
holdings they may acquire, are full of
promise for the permanent establish
ment of these immigrants on the plan
tations on which such holdings are
situated. There is little doubt but
that if such a plan had been adopted
by the sugar plantations at the time
of the first introduction of Portuguese
immigrants, twenty years ago, a much
larger proportion would have been con-
tented to remain and perform field
work on the plantations than has been
the case.
Although the children of such immi-
grants will be educated in the public
schools, they will be attached to the
homes belonging to their parents, and
considerable proportion of them will
in all probability remain and perform