Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-19
poet WATSON LOST ITS GREATEST NEED
Joins DR.. Cook in Colony of Territorial Land Laws OF Ha
Missnu NotabIes Wa Should Be Amended.
MAD, SAYS HIS BROTHER FOR BONA FIDE SETTLERS
Strange Obesson Important Recommendations Gov
linn Again. He SAYS. Report
TO DOWN ASQUITH TO HEAD THE SPECTATORS
Should
and He Federal Meas
Sorry Fatal to Homesteadng
Territorial Land Laws of Ha-
Waii Should Be Amended.
FOR BONA FIDE SETTLERS
Important Recommendations in Gov.
Frear's Report.
TO HEAD OFF THE SPECTATORS
Present Statutes Should Be Amend
'ed-Extension of Federal Meas
uresF Fatal to Homesteading.

1.-The territorial land laws OF Hawaii
Should be amended SO as to Facilitate
the settlement of the public lands by
bona fide citizen homesteaders, and pre-
vent their disposition to spectators and
investors" declares Gov. Frear OF the
Hawaiian Islands in his annual report to
the Secretary of the Interior.
He also makes a large number of rec
concentrations. which include the follow
ing:
The reclamation act should be ex-
tended to Hawaii.
General federal appropriations, espe-
cially those for soil, topographic and
photographic surveys. and forestry,
should be made to apply to Hawaii.
The coastwise navigation laws should
be suspended for limited period as
to passenger traffic between Hawaii and
the mainland. or other provision should
be made to afford the necessary facilities
for such traffic.
Appropriations should be made for oom-
pleting the enlargement and deepening
of Honolulu harbor. completing the Hilo
breakwater enlarging and deepening ka-
huui harbor, and establishing d light
house depot at Honolulu.
For Public Building at Hilo.
An appropriation should be made for a
public building at Hilo.
Section ID of the organic act should he
amended SO to give the territorial
Legislature greater latitude to e
times at which its bonds may be made
redeemable and payable.
Naturalizations granted by territorial
circuit courts prior to the naturalization
law of 1907 should be ratified SO far as
the question of jurisdiction is concerned.
Section 81 of the organic act should be
amended so as to add. or permit the
territorial legislature to add to the emu
merated disqualifcations of judges.
Section 92 OF the organic act should
be amended so as to increase the salaries
of various officers, especially those of
the governor and secretary and the
judges of the supreme and circuit courts.
Public Lands in Four Glasses.
In speaking Of the government lands
the governor says:
The public lands are of four classes:
% Those under the land department,
comprising the bulk of the public lands.
including those formerly known as
crown lands. and intended for settle
ment and other general purposes; co
those under the department Of public
works. most but not all used for pub
lie purposes. such as streets. parks.
public building sites, landings, town
lots, certain reservations, etc; (3) those
under the department of public fnstruc
ton. consisting of school sites and
other lands, most of which were set
aside by law for school purposes in
1850. and a. those under the board of
agriculture and forestry, set apart as
forest reservations.
In consequence Of recent legislation
the same person now holds the offices
of superintendent of public works and
commissioner of public lands. although
exercising the functions of each office
in distinct capacity.
The administration OF the public
lands proper under the land depart
ment is beset with difficulties. The total
area Is small--less than 100000 acres
and much of that Is SO high or so
precipitous or SO recently formed By
volcanic action or so dry or rocky or
otherwise unsuited to marketable
crops that comparatively little is arabic
in It's natural condition and in the
present state Of knowledge.
Modelled After New Zealand Laws.
"The present land laws should be
amended They were enacted In 1895
and were modelled largely from the New
Zealand laws. They We're we'll suited to
the then existing conditions, and even
at the present time are fairly well suited
to the purposes of bona fide settlers. but
with changed conditions they have
proved equally we'll suited to the pur-
poses of mere spectators or investors
Land is of high value for purposes other
than demonstrating, and persistent efforts
are made to obtain it for such purposes
under the guise OF homestead methods
Early in the year commission of seven
.to<l ~ f<s. I,1rN .-s.
after L had carefully studied the matter
myself. investigated the entire subject
and submitted a report containing varl-
Gus recommendations which In general
I believe to be we'll supported by the ex-
listing conditions.
"A bill was introduced in Congress last
winter for the purpose Of carrying out
most of these recommendations as Well
as for accomplishing other objects not
covered by the work of the commission.
1t is exceedingly important for the flu
ture welfare of this territory that that
bill, with perhaps some modihcations,
should be enacted. The extension of the
federal land laws to Hawaii, advocated
by some, would be fatal to the nome
| stealing purpose.
THE present laws give the executive
officers considerable latitude as to the
methods by which public land may be
taken for settlement purposes. I have
, ent rely discontinued one of the methods
and to some extent two other methods
which had been generally pursued pre-
viousy, and under general authority
in the laws I have endeavored to meet
present conditions far as possible
through another method, mainly by in
creasing the requirements of residence
and cultivation. by providing against
subleasing or other disposition before pat
/ ent obtained. and at the same time al
lowing easier terms of payment-the aim
being to prescribe what a settler in good
faith would probably wish to do any
way, but what it would not pay the meSe
! speculator to do. AS a rule the size of
the lots has been reduced also.
| Need of Prohibitive Statute.
| There is need of statute prohibiting,
even after patent obtained, conveyances