The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-03-11
LANAI FIGURES
KNOWN TO PRATT
J. f. MORGAN KEPT THE LAND
COMMISSIONER POSTED AS THE
APPRAISAL PROGRESSED.

The Lanai Committee held another
meeting Saturday night.
Allan Herbert was the first witness.
He said he had devoted considerable
attention to agriculture. He had been
on Lanai once-about 20 years ago. He
had, he said, vivid recollection of his
visit. At that time there was an album
dance of grass there; many vegeta-
bles were also being raised there. He
had had a quantity Of the latter sent
to Honolulu Mr.. Herbert said he was
opposed to the policy of the govern
ment in disposing of large tracts Of
land to single holders. He had sent a
written protest to this effect to the
governor in 1904, il, he stated, he had
individually been owner Of the lands
on Lanai, he would have been glad to
exchange them for the city property,
but, had he been governor he would
to one holder, for, as he had before
stated, he was opposed to governmental
encouragement of a monopoly. AS a
taxpayer he thought that if the Ter
ritory needed lands for school or other
purposes, it should borrow the money
if necessary and purchase them and
hold on to Lanai which might at some
future time become a valuable holding.
Mr. Herbert, however, was not pre-
pared to say positively that the island
could be developed agricuturally. He
did not think the cattle industry should
be encouraged. Cattle, he thought,
were a curse to this country-Lanal
particularly. Stock raisers, he said,
held large sections of land for grazing
purposes which, practically were lying
idle; it would be better, he thought, to
have these tracts laid out in small
farms. IT, however, an individual de-
sisal growing or farming he would not
oppose it, even if a lage tract were ask
ed for. He thought the governor and
Mr. Pratt had made a good bargain
officially. Mr.. Herbert said he and
Mr.. Gay were personal friends. Con-
tinuing, Mr.. Herbert said he was In
favor of the government so allotting
the public lands as to encourage an
agricultural population with small
holdings. Replying to a questiin of
Representative Rawlins, he said he
had never heard that Mr.. Gibson had
made money on Lanai; in the contrary
Mr.. Gibson was generally in his (Mr.
Herbert's) debt.
j. G. Smith, special agent in charge
of the United States Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station was called Mr..
Smith said he is in the service of the
Department of Agriculture and he had
studied the agricultural interests of
the Territory. Mr. Smith stated that
in a letter to the governor he had OPP
posed the Lanai exchange. He said
he had never visoted Lanai, but that on
principle he would not favor the alien
alton of government lands in bodies
larger than necessary to support a sim
gle family He had been informed that
the rainfall on Lanai averaged 80 in
ches; he knew from experience in this
and other countries that various crops
can be produced with even less rainfall
if the water is properly conserved, and
he knew the latter could be done He
believed sisal and various forage plants
could be raised on Lanai. 1t is Mr..
Smiths opinion that 1000 acres on La
mai would nourish enough cattle to
comfortably support a family; with 50
inches of rain, 20 or 30 acres would
suffice for a single head of stock so
that 1000 acres ought to support 40 or
so animals. This Mr.. Smith thought,
ought to keep any one from want. For
ty families on Lanai, said Mr.. Smith,
would make the island profitable to
the government. He had known wheat
to be grown in sections having less
than 10 inches of rainfall; he was not
rad 70 COW tI,o,4 4