The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-09-29
DISCUSSIONS
On LAND
LAWS
The Commission Heard
Great Variety of
Suggestions.

eliminating the FIgnU- OF purchase
lease, rules and regulations whereby
the discretionary power is placed in
the hands of the Governor instead of
the Circuit Court judges for adjusting
differences between hOmesteaders and
the land commission Office, and the
Frear tenyear agreement for home
stead "proving up" on title, were
among the principal items of discus
sion before the Land Law Commission
at its afternoon session yesterday.
Land Commissioner Pratt was before
the commission all afternoon, not only
giving his own suggestions concerning
the land laws, but commenting on
statements made during the forenoon
session.
The afternoon session brought out
many interesting points in connection
with the administration of the land
laws, and about the lands that are or
may be available for homesteading.
In speaking of available lands which
would in time, under cultivation, yield
incomes to hOmesteaders, Commissioner
Pratt made an important statement, as
follows:
''This morning Mr.. Tucker said that
one reason why we could not get as
many settlers, in proportion, as did
the United States mainland, was be-
cause the prospective hOmesteaders
had to pay too much for lands here.
The reason is that we have no short
crop season. In the United States you
can take off short crops in the first
season and derive an income, or re-
turns, at the start, and thereby com
mence earning a living. Here the only
crop we have is pineapples and cane,
but instead of taking off a crop the
first season, it does not come until al
most two years have elapsed. After
that it is well and good. But those
two years, where man must work to
keep himself and family, and keep up
his stock of agricultural implements
that is one of the reasons we can not
get people here from the States. They
say, We can 90 to the Northwest and
get returns the first season.
'ENOw, If we can raise Sea Island
cotton and, say, three crops of tobacco
in two years, that is doing well. For
coffee it takes three to four years, and
sisal about the same. After the first
two years. of course, in the arrange
ment of the rotation of crops, a crop
can be taken off every season, but it
is that first long period which is the
discouraging factor in getting home
steaders
owe have opened land at Hakalau
where the land adjoins the road and
Yields four to five tons an acre.
There, of course, was a proposition
which would encourage anyone: 1t is
all cane land, already cultivated, and
there is water enough to irrigate and
even to tiume off the crop, so there |
would be no additional transportation /
expense.
IL notice there has been more or |
less comment upon the administration /
of the land laws. All laws concerning /
the Land Department have been ad- !
ministered under the advice and direc- |
tion of the Attorney General of the |
Territory. Questions that have arisen
under various conditions have been re-
ferred to the Attorney General for his
advice and opinion as to how we
should take action, and we acted ac-
cordingly. These opinions have pass
ed through the hands of the Governor
and so on down through the various
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