The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-01-11
.FREAR AND FORAKER
ON HAWAII LANDS
Continued from Page one.l

kCOntlnueQ from Page One.l
of five or six years the cultivation OF
five years, and requiring by the end
perhaps as much as 80 per cent of the
arabic area of the lot sold At the
same time it is intended to make the
terms of payment easier by distribut-
ing the payments over ten years and
without interest.
! The Chairman-What do you mean
| by drawing there-a sort of lottery
scheme?
| Governor Frear-Yes At present
| the lands are sold at public auction
generally, and they are apt to be run
up and to be put beyond the means OF
a great many of the persons who
would desire to become settlers. 1t
is thought well to authorize their dis
position by drawing, the same as is
done here in disposing Of public lands,
especially the reclaimed lands.
The Chairman.-We have system
of drawing?
Governor Frear.-Yes.
The Chairman.-I was not aware of
it. What is it?
Governor Frear.-When a tract of
land is opened to settlement it is ad-
vertised thoroughly throughout the
country and then applications are
filed. There may be a hundred thou
sand applications for lots in particu-
lar tract.
The Chairman.-Oh, yes, I under
stand now what you mean.
Governor Frear-But of course there
are not lots enough to go around. In
order to be fair and not give them
out to applicants in the order of their
application they have a drawing, and
the applicants select their lots in the
order of their drawing.
The Chairman-But with our sys-
tenn the government fixes the price,
does it not
Governor Frear.-Yes. and we would
do the same UnIns.
| The Chairman.-Is there any pro-
vision here for fixing the price Of this
government land?
Governor Frear-The method actual
ly used in Hawaii is this: Appraisers
are appointed to fix the actual cash
value of the land. Then about %
per cent of that value is taken fol
the purposes of homesteads, the other
conditions of residence and cultivation
being supposed to make up for the
: balance the idea being to encourage
: the small settler.
The Chairman.-Who would pres
cribe all these additional terms ant
conditions.
Governor Frear-That would b.
done by the commissioner, with tn,
approval of the governor.
The Chairman.-Under local legisla
ton?
Governor Frear.-Well, our terrific
rial legislature has no authority t.
legislate on public-land matters Thi
would be expected to be complete, an
to give that discretionary authority t
the commissioner there, with the ap
: proVal of the governor, very much tn
same as it rests here in the Secretar
of the Interior.
The Chairman.-We could authoriz
= your legislature to legislate about
f could we not?
Governor Frear-Oh, yes.
J. The Chairman.-You mean simpl
It that in the organic act the legislator
S is precluded from legislating ON tn
y subject?
+ Governor Frear.-That is the pre-
n vision now in the organic act.
r The Chairman. So / understand.
a Governor Frear-And we come {
g Congress now. for an amendment of I'll
e act because we can not go to our ow
legislature. On that point l will say
e The Chairman.-Before you pas
S, from that, let me ask whether yol
It legislature should not have authorit
to prescribe all these terms and col
ditions rather than some individua
and should you not be relieved of Il
necessity of coming here about a
these details, to take up our time +
garding matters that are purely loo
l. and of no concern to us? am askir
II merely to get your opinion on thj
Sc point.
,r Governor Frear.-When the organ
lie act was enacted it was thought tn
81 the settlement or management of Il
public lands there was more than
lg matter of mere local interest 1t W
u a matter Of national interest, wi
T. view to building up those islam
err with small proprietors who are Am
OF rican citizens or will become Amer
ne can citizens, and it was thought u
wise to permit the local legislature