The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-10-22
GOVERNOR FREAR
AT THE ORPHEUM
HE RIDDLES AND RIDIcULEs THE
McCANDLEss HAS CoND UCTING-sHows FEDERAL LAND
LAW UNAPPL1CABLE AND IMPOSSIBLE AND
REAsoN-sTRAIGHT TICKET AND YELLOW DOG

stead laws-and your statement based
on your experience in administering
those laws we must accept as conclu-
sion of those laws to the public lands
of this Territory as the most practical
means of abolishing the abuses and
meeting the needs that you have had
where you had been in these islands. In
this we do not descredit your judgment,
but we would point out that there is
likelihood of such amendments to the
the abuses arising under them and will
make them serve, because the atten-
ton of Congress is being directed to
thoae evils by yourself and from all
directions We urge the immediate
suspension of that portion of the Ha-
waiian land law authorizing either sale
or exchange of public lands; that the
homestead lands granted by way of
exchange shall remain subject to the
homestead quality; that the Federal
homestead law be extended here
The extension of the Federal nome
stead law to Hawai-. Thing OF it!
what does it mean? 1t means that
they are attempting to attain the i'm
possible with the President against it
and with Congress against 1t, for the
JOINT Resolution expressly declared
against it. In the second place, con-
slder the loss OF revenue there would
be $2OO,OOO year and rapidly lncreas-
ing in amount That money, if the
democrats attained their end, would go
to the Federal treasury and not to the
hawaiian.
If we asked congress to do this it
would be a confession that we are not
even capable or doing those things that
we have already been entrusted with
by Congress. Ii would be the first step
toward government by commission. Do
you want TO go back? Do you want
government by commission? Ceres OF
NOD Let us go forward. not back; to
statehood, not 10 government by com
mission. If our public land is ever
turned over to the Federal government
it is lost to us forever and we will be
in the position of the mainland States,
with the exception of Texas, which has
its own public lands as we have.
The extension of the Federal home
stead laws here would mean the appli-
cation of laws that are not applicable
to conditions now on tie mainland and
here would be even less applicable. We
complain now that some of the Federal
laws are not applicable and are not
enforced as we would wish. Would you
go 5000 miles away to Washington to
have our land laws administered
Would you have native applying from
Kau or Kona for bit of land obliged
to write to Washington to get it, or
have him apply to someone here sent
from Washington?
when Secretary Garfield was here
the Democrats asked him to have the
laws extended here, laws the workings
of which he knows better than any
man in the United States. He told
them in substance that they didn't
know what they were asking for and
were trying to jump out of the frying
pan into the fire. Then the Democrats
scratched their heads and drew up theiI
memorial, stating that they were not
trying to contradict Garfield but stat
ing that they thought the laws might
be amended. Now the people of the
United States have been trying to
amend those laws, but they cannot.
There are land sharks on the main
land, just the same as there are land
sharks here. There are corporations
putting dummy settlers on the land
and securing them and they do not
want the laws amended. Think what
little Hawaii could do to get any
amendments when the whole of the
United States cannot do it. If they
should be amended it would be at any
rate with reference to mainland condi-
tions and not to conditions in little
Hawaii. If they were amended to fiji
Hawaii it would have to be by special
amendment, and if so, why not amend
the laws we have now? There is nc
use saying that we cannot, because we
had them amended last session. Con
gress is ready to give Hawaii laws that
are asked for to apply to Hawaii foI
our special benefit, but to get the gen.
eral law amended is impossible"
Governor Frear went on 10 show that
the Republican party was attempting
only what could be performed, seek
ing earnestly the best means tor
amending the land law where it has
revealed defects in operation. He re-
ferred to the visit of Mr.. Newell OF
the Federal Reclamation Service study
ing what arid lands can be reclaimed
through irrigation.
This is one way that the Repub-