The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-02-05
Governor Carriers
Views on the Deal

1.-THE exchange of the Lanai lands
for other real estate was made this at
ternoon," Governor Carter said in
tcne of satisfaction to the Capitol re-
porter for the Advertiser late yester-
day.
1.-The bid was opened which, on ac-
count of the courts interference, had
remained sealed ever since 1t was re-
ceived.
"The taxable value of the land Va
have taken in exchange for the Lanai
land is greater than the 100000 APP
praised valuation Of the latter. which.
as you know, is considerably greater
than the taxable value of Lanai.
"By this transaction We believe we
have put Lanai in the hands of those
who can afford to, and from the in
terest of preserving their own property
will, expend the money necessary to
fence, to forest. to Kill the goats off of,
and to save that island from becoming
a barren waste and impossible for the
production OF any wealth at all.
1.-THE Territory has got by the ex-
change the old Maertens property on
the other side of Thomas Square,
which gives it a site that. with the
Legislatures approval and appropria-
ton of the necessary money. will be
used for a very much needed High
School building, the present over
crowded one to be turned into gram,
mar school,
1--WE have secured the Hopper prop
erty. The school back of Kawaiahao
is on private land and we can not
longer use 1t. The only site that Wa
have in this locality is the school back
of the Hopper premises and that is al
ready overcrowded. This acquisition
enables us to use the old Hopper resi-
dence for a school until the Legislature
gives an appropriation for new build
ing. At the lease We have the grounds.
"Then we have acquired the -Tanta-
lus property of the Coney estate. A
former Government. under the impies-
sion that 1t owned 1t. laid out forest
on the land, If 1t had not been obtain
ed, the private owners have repeatedly
stated that 1t would be impossible for
them to retain the forest. They could
not pay the taxes without selling off
the wood.
I'm addition to many other pieces We
have obtained land enabling us to en-
large the Royal School grounds and
give an entrance to them through those
old shacks to Luso street. l only re-
greet that the Government is not in
position to acquire all that property
and put 1t into lawn as a part of
the Royal School grounds. This would
form park right in the middle of that
portion of the town.
TT has been said in the courts and
elsewhere that We are exchanging rev.
producing property for what Is
not revenue producing. Only to a linn
tied extent is this true. In regard to
Lanai 1t had come to a point where
those up there had notified us that they
could not continue to pay rents. They
did not care to renew the leases-I win
not say all the leases. but certain ones.
In fact. they signified their intention
to lease only a comparatively small |
portion that they could use.
Practically speaking revenue should
not be considered any more In this mat
ter than in the case of a person strug- |
Cling TO secure the interest on a mort
gage but losing the principal. Revenue
Is unimportant in comparison with the
principal. or the capital. involved.
.T am perfectly willing to face all
future responsibility for this matter.
confident that time will show the wis
dom OF the act.
THE possession OF any one of the is,
lands of this group by individuals does
not really release or remove the juris-
diction which the Government main I
tains over them all.
1T seems to me remarkable that the |
Judiciary should have used its power
to interfere with the executive depart