The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-09


aet ON their Tccomm, ndaiious until
newt session.
knuisen in further remarks contend.
'cd ihat ihc resolution would compieatc
.mHitcu
"lf this should pnss, Woods rose
lt0 Iuuuiso. % whRt are We To do ah0ut
ihose homcsicads that have already been
Surveyed. over iu knu the government
has just sakcd out some homcstcnjs.
They have also advert sed other lands
10 be opened within a few days. Then
can anyone assure me how long we may
not have TO wait for congress 20
Chillingworth regarded IL question
OF what was the best policy for au-
lands. In the resolution JUS, passed IL
WAS proposed to appoint a commission
of six members on land matters. They
were there merely as the servants Of
1.-THE people and their personal views
should not weigh when they were con.
sidering the wishes of the people. There
were only 1900 acres of agricultural
land left, he was informed. Suppose
congress did not act on their bill at
next session, was il not right to protect
the interests of the people in the
mean timel He did not know much
about the question but well-informed
men had spoken to him about the de-
STABILITY of checking the indiscriminate
disposal of land. The interests of the
people should be protected, especially
those of the city of Honolulu. For in.
stance there was the sale of the fire
station lot on Maunakea street, which
the municipal officers had regarded as
reserved for fire department or other
city purposes. There was property that
might be needed by the county of Ma
ui in Wailuku. This resolution follow.
ed up house resolution No. / for the
amendment of the organic act. 1t sim
ply voiced the sentiments of the peo-
Pile. He might be wrong in the stand
he was taking but he felt perfectly
conscientious in the matter. 1t seemed
to him that Harvey's proposal was
right.
Woods doubted the statement that
there was not more than 10000 acres
of agricultural land remaining. There
was 5000 acres in Kohala district alone
President Smith called Vice-President
Kalama to the chair and said it was
of very doubtful wisdom to pass the
resolution. They had seen to it in the
concurrent resolution adopted by both
houses that the lands should be properly
guarded. He quoted the law passed at
last regular session authorizing the gov
ernment to use the proceeds of land
sales for the purchase of property want
ed for public purposes. This replaced
the former policy of land exchanges on
a basis of valuation. Acting on that
authorization the government had al.
ready procured land needed for the
College of Hawaii and was now con.
sidering a similar transaction in con-
nection with the central grammar
school on Emma street. They would
make a mistake in passing this resolu-
ton.
Robinson asked Smith if it was not
true that the plantation kept all the
water in the Omaipio land exchange.
Coelho answered the query with a
statement that the homesteaders on the
upper lands obtained in that deal were
doing well in raising crops including
lpineapples There was no stream to
water the lands but sufficient water for
household purposes. In supporting the
resolution he did not mean to criticize
the action of the government. He was
satisfied with what had been done on
; Maui. His objection to putting up
lands now was that the people wanting
homesteads had not the money to com
pete for the lands at auction. He told
of case where the people who made
the applications did not get one piece
of land. The same thing happened in
the opening of Alewa Heights town lots.
People were advised to withdraw their
applications and save their money until
they could buy lots outright. Some of
them, however, mOrtgaged their little
holdings to raise the money but at the
sale failed to get lot.
/ Harvey moved for the passage of the
resolution as amended.
Baker said he was of the same opin-
ion as the introducer of the resolu-
tion with regard to the protection of
homesteads. The land should be saved
for applicants later. What he was
afraid of, though, was a clash with the
constitutional powers of the executive.
The Organic Act gave the power of
disposing of the land to the executive.
BY passing this resolution were they
not blockading the lawful powers of
the executive9 He liked the meaning
of the resolution, but they should not
be hasty in passing resolutions with
out thinking well of what they were
doing. Harvey ought to withdraw the
resolution.
Robinson deciared himself in favor
of the resolution. They all admitted
they had asked for amendments to the
Organic Act. But this was only tenn
porary. They asked only for tempo,
rary suspension of land disposal until
the fate of the bill was decided.
Woods thought the temporary fea'
ture very indefinite.
"Just until congress acts" Harvey
reioined.
"'That is it, was Woods comment,
"but can anybody tell me when con.
gress will act9"
Makekau said if they passed the res
olution they would place themselves in
conflict with the executive powers The
executive called them together for the
purpose of deciding ON what TO ask
congress regarding amendments to the
Organic Act. II appeared that the