The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-09-30
| O77tRYSYSTEM BEST
FOR BIG OPENING
OF PUBLIC LANDS

loss through dispossession, and the
Department avoids a vast amount Of
very irksome and very unsatisfac-
tory work
There is another thing to be con-
sidered. In the old rush days a set
tier, to acquire titles, had to establish
and maintain residence on his land
from the very day he went upon it.
Under the drawing system the sue
cessful applicants do not initiate their
entries Immediately; the filings do not
commence until six months after the
drawing. In the meantimeI those
whose names have been drawn may
go upon the reservation, look over the
field, find the desirable localities, and
later on intelligently pick their land.
This is particularly true of those
whose names are drawn early. Under
the rush system inspection of the
lands previous to the opening was not
permissible, and any entryman found
to be a sooner was dispossessed'
Judge Witten objects to the term
Occur d'Alene opening. He says the
drawing system is no. a lottery, for
the applicants who registered hsked
nothinla, and lost nothing # their
names were not drawn. All it cost
any of them was % cents for notary
fees, and two cent stamp. While
it is true, he admits that the unsuc-
cessful applicants lost what they spent
IN railroad fare and other expenses in
cident to registration and attendance
upon the opening, yet that is no more
than any man would be called upon to
expend anywhere if he undertook to
make a public land entry, and many
men, he says, have gone into the new
country with a view to making en-
tries, and after eXpending more or
less money, have returned home empty
handed
There has been some criticism of
the late opening because registration
had to be made at Spokane, and was
not permitted anywhere in the United
States. Critics have maintained that
an American citizen, no matter where
he lives, should be allowed to regis
ter at his home, and not be compelled
to travel to the neighbOrhood of me
lands to be opened. Commenting on
that criticism Judge Witten said there
were l05 600 registrations at the Occur
"A enc opening had registrations
been permitted everywhere, ne says
there would have been 100000 regis
trations Any man would risk u
cents for a chance at piece OF land
that might be worth several thousands
of dollars With unrestricted regis
tration, there would be no limit, and
hundreds of thousands or people would
take a chance" when they had no
serious intention of taking the land II
they got a chance lie believes the
adopted plan of registration is pre-
ferable; it confines the applications
very largely to people who really want
land.
AS far as the value of the land is
concerned, Judge Witten explains that
the government holds ont no induce
ments to applicants. 1t refuses to
give any information as to the kind of
land to be opened or any word as to
aits probable value. 1t is true that
there is always more or less land that
# little value. But everyone whose
name is drawn has the privilege OF
looking over the land before making
his fling, and those who do not want
the poorer land need not exercise their
right of entry, and in such event lose
none of their rights under the public
land laws by reason of having been
drawn"
The government gets nothing from
these openings. In these proceed
ings, the government officials merely