The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-29
A Difficult Problem.

demonstrating is at best a difficult
problem in Hawai-the conditions are
so different from those on the mainland
and so different in different parts of
Hawaii. So far as results in home
stealing are concerned, the lands of
Hawaii may in general way be divid-
ed into two classes, namely, ID those
having reasonably good transportation
facilities, known to be cultivable in
profitable crops, and not too expensive
to clear, and ~ other lands. There
are nearly nine hundred lots of the
second class surveyed and open for
settlement but very few people who
are willing to be pioneers enough to
take them, while for land Of the first
class there is scramble. Homestead
ing consists largely in converting lands
of the second class into those of the
first class by providing transportation
facilities, demonstrating what can be
produced, etc. This is done partly by
the government through the construc-
ton of roads, experimentation, etc,
and partly by 1essees who are willing
to develop the land and make it fit
for demonstrating in so far as that is
profitable Such lands (of the first
class) are so valuable and there are
such loop-holes in the present laws that
there is great incentive to take such
lands under the homestead laws for the
Interior purpose of investment or specu-
1ation, or, if the homestead is taken
in good faith, there is great danger that
sooner or later it will be found more
profitable for the homesteader to lease
or sell it to an alien or corporation or
large landholder. Thousands of acres
of land previously cultivated in cane
and other superior lands have been dis
posed of in this way. Experience is
fast demonstrating that unless the laws
are amended it would be wiser for the
government to lease or sell such lands
directly than to attempt TO homestead
them, for then the government would
at least get their value and, in the
case of lease, hold them until they
can be homesteaded successfully, while
if they are disposed of under the form
of demonstrating under the present laws,
they are liable to go eventually to the
same alien, corporation or large holder
and the go-between ke-homesteader
will get the greater part of their value
and they viii be lost forever for home
stead purposes. The Territory is do
ing what it can TO solve this compIi-
Gated problem, of which the admins
tration of the lands is only one factor
1t is expected to produce results. But
hts hands are tied All it asks is to be
given a chance. The land laws can be
amended only by congress Let these
amendments be enacted and homestead
ing can be pushed vigorously with con-
fidence in the result.
"These amendments are the result
of careful and prolonged study on
the part of the territorial officers, a
commission appointed specially for the
purpose of investigating this subject,
and many others on the ground and
| familiar with past experience under the
present laws. They are believed to en-
| body the substantial agreement of the
people of Hawaii who are DESTROYS of
developing Hawaii on American lines.
They have been made short, simple, and
complete in themselves. so that they
may speak for themselves and not in
volve an extensive inquiry into the ex-
listing laws or the local conditions. They
Fbuild upon and supplement the present
system without upsetting it.
| Methods of demonstrating.
| "There are various methods of home
stealing in Hawaii and necessarily for