The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-16
DIRECTOR NEWELL ON
ISLAND CONDITIONS
Continued from yesterday


There is no question puf that each
native should have home and sufi-
cient area for the support of his fam
lily, but it is not adding to the strength
of the commonwealth to divide land
among men who will not live upon it
and improve it. The policy recently
adopted Of leasing. for term of 999
years. small areas to the natives has
proved most beneficial, both TO them
and to the public. In this way a man
and his family may have sufficient land
for their support if they use industry,
and this land will remain in the family
as long as it is used as home This
policy appears to put a stop to much
of the speculation which has prevented
effective demonstrating in the past.
The disposal of the public lands in a
limited number of small tracts from
time to time as leases expire has pre-
vented any general advertising of the
fact that public land is available and
thus has not attracted the attention
of possible settlers from the mainland
1t appears probable that if any consid-
cradle number of farm units could be
disposed of by lot, it would be possi-
BILE to attract the attention of desira-
bic settlers and bring into the islands
the class of men urgently needed.
Is Home making Practicable?
Is it practicable in face of existing
conditions of land ownership, of char
acter Of population, and of labor to
greatly increase the number of small
independent farmers. men who can and
will maintain a relatively high stand
ard of hvings Can the pioneer white
farmer get a foothold on the islands
where good agricultural land now rents
each year at prices from So to $50 per
aerea VIII he bring his family to a
community composed largely of Ash
atics or the poorer grades of Latin
Facess VIII he be content to labor in
his field when most men of his race
now act as overseers or employers and
where coolies or peasants are hired for
all manual works viii he, on gain
ing full title to his homestead sell or
lease to an Oriental. or be gradually
crowded out. as has been the white
mechanic and shopkeepere 1t is evil
dent that unless he can obtain a foot
hold and will be able TO maintain the
standard of living and the social and
civic ideals of the Republic, there is
little to be gained by attempts to mere
~ increase population.
There is little or nothing in the
climate to prevent attaining in the Is
lands as great or even greater success
in small farming as that reached on
the mainland There are hotter parts
of California and more enervating con-
ditions in various parts of the newly
settled West. There are similar difficult
ties in lack of transportation or IN
physical obstacles to be overcome. The
problem is not so much one of natural
environment but of artificial or civic
conditions As consequence the
remedy to be applied or the impedi-
ments to be removed are mainly artlti-
cial or social The bringing about of
the desired condition of a larger popu-
lation and greater percentage OF in
telligent voters must come in differ
ent way from that on the mainland.
by the singIe-handed combat of each
pioneer with his natural environment.
On the islands. as above stated, the
chief obstacles are of human or social
origin. and a broad intelligent coopera-
ton must be had of all civic organlza-
tions combining toward the common
end. IN this should be united the
agencies of the nation, the guardian
= all oE
the Territory itself and The commercial
or semipublic organizations Of the peo-
pie on the islands.
Progress can not be made TOWARD
securing a larger settlement by break
ing down any of the existing industries
or taking away lands now devoted 70
high grades of agriculture. What Is
needed is to supplement and add 70 ths
present industries rather than interiors
with them, or, putting the matter 20
more concrete form, it is not Tor the
best public policy to try 10 cut down
the area in sugar for the purpose Oh
raisiag some other less valuable crop
Some we1I-intentioned persons have
argued that IN order to increase the
desirable population of the ISLANDS tae
sugar plantations must be restIlcteu
and the lands now in sugar cane DIVA
ed up. It is believed that this IS nei1h-
er practicable nor desirable The sugar
industry IS the main support OF the IS,
lands and viii probably 50 remain untl,
conditions have radically changed
throughout the entire country. On the
other hand. there are known to De
large tracts Of land which are not De
ing put to their best use. largely De-
cause of lack of sufficient moisture
These are held. generally. by estates
| or by the government. and IN some
respect the problem of their use Is
similar TO that which has been success
fully met BY reclamation under the