The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-18
NAP|HAA'S BIC
TIME To FREAR
Heart to Heart Talks-Some
lnspections-Abel All
You's Story.
(Staf Correspondence.

meeting at Napihaa's last night was
most interesting. Governor Frear, when
told before dinner that the people
wanted a speech from him, did not like
1t a bit after the hard days riding
/ Someone suggested he repeat his Hama
| church address. He replied almost
| Pathetically, . I can t do that because
the minister, the district Judge and
two of the policemen who were at
church are here
1t was new speech the Governor
gave otfhandedly and seemed to strike
the people just right. Besides telling
them the object of his visit to Maui
with the heads of departments, he in
formed them Of the desire of the Gov
eminent that the people should have
their own homes upon the land. 1t
was much better that they should live
IN the country, tilling the soil and add
ing to the general prosperity. than that
they should flock to the city where
the battle of life was harder and more
! uncertain. The tendency to herding
in the cities was an evil now being
fought on the mainland, where the adj
vice of back to the land was urged
as a remedy for hard times Our great
President would like to see them liv
ing in the country and raising large
families
1t gave him great pleasure to an
nounee that the lessee of the Iii of
Pahoa, at the top of their beautiful
valley, had offered to surrender his
lease so that the Government might
divide it up into homesteads for the
people. The failure of the sugar plan
tation at Nahiku was referred to as
having been a setback TO the district,
but the pineapple and rubber indus
tries which had sprung up around them
afforded the people some compensa-
tion. Some homestead difficulties in
the vicinity would be investigated dur
ing the visit and adjusted as wen as
the law permitted. 1t was not in the
power of the executive to change the
the law the people should look to their
representatives for amendments.
Reference was made to the need of /
roads in the district, which the Gov
ernor hoped would soon be supplied
The Maui county loan for this pur-
pose had been approved at Washington
and would likely soon be available.
Emphasis was laid. as at Hama, on the !
L.. ~ Of
through the ballot and the consequent |
duty thev owed to themselves of elect |
ing good men to the Legislature, the |
Board of Supervisors and the county
elective Offices.
Secretary Mott-Smith made an ex-
cellent speech. full of good points. His
language was particularly well chosen |
for easy Interpretation into Hawaiian, |
that service at the meeting being well /
done by Abel All You. the local teach /
er. The speaker urged the benefits of |
industrial training of the children, adj |
vising the young people to seek me-
ehanie arts rather than the so-called /
professions Hawaiians were natural |
mechanics and formed a large proper
ton of the skilled labor employed in |
Honolulu.
Land Commissioner Pratt, though |
protesting in private that he could not |
make a speech. when called into the /
ftfuI glimmer Of the kerosene lanterns
proved he could hold his own in clear
statement with any professional adj
voea+e. Addressing himself directly TO |
some difficulties about land in that |
neighhorhood. he assured all who had |
grievances that nothing for their re-
dress would be left undone within the
law. But if the law created what they
deemed hardships it was to their Sen
ators and Representatives they must
look for remedy. The purpose Of the /
aq9-vear lease under which the home
steals there were taken was to en-
sure to the people homes that could
not be taken from them if they full
filed the conditions. But they must
cultivate the land and live upon 1t.
They could neither sell, rent nor mort
gage these homesteads.
Mr.. Napihaa. who from the opening
had stationed himself on the ground
in front of the yeranda as sort of mast
ar of ceremonies. called Mr.. Pratt back
TO answer questions. He put most of
these himself but others took hand
in the cross-examination. From the
answers the Commissioner gave the
questions may be inferred.
One homesteader at Wailuanui had
been held to have forfeited his holding
because he had subFet it to a China
nan. This was utterly contrary TO the
aw.
The Chinaman on being elected had
removed a dwelling house from the
premises Mr.. Pratt declared that he
would be required to put the house
back as good as he found it. Besides,
whenever the Commissioner returned to
Honolulu. the case would be placed IN
he hands of the Attorney General TO
prosecute the Chinaman for damages
IS a trespasser.
A woman had a complaint about
being ordered on a kUleana claimed as
public land by the department.
1t was stated. though not publicly,
It the meeting that R. \. Boyd, sent
here some time ago to survey the ku-
eanas. placed some of them within the
lnallotted public domain.
The woman was assured that her
complaint would be Investigated and
,u iaSrire he done in the matter. =.