The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-19
DEPARTMENTS
MAY Be DIVORCED
Possible That Increased Work
May Necessitate Separate
Head for Land Bureau.

A move to divorce the public lands
department from the public works de-
partment viii probably be made in the
| legislature next session, and it will re-
ceive the approval and support of the
Governor.
The report of Marston Campbell, who
is superintendent Of public works, com
| missioner OF public lands, head of the
| survey department and president of the
bureau of agriculture and forestry, not
to mention a few minor Jobs he holds,
is, it is understood, in favor of the re
tention of the present arrangement,
which was concocted by the last legisa-
ture. Notwithstanding the large amount
of work entailed, Mr.. Campbell is not
eager to lose any Of his jobs or titles.
And Governor Frear testifes that the
consolidation of the public works, pub
| lie lands and survey departments has
| worked out very well up to the present
time and has saved the Territory sew
eral thousands of dollars.
| But since the passage by congress of
the amendments to the organic act,
| chief of which were the amendments to
| the land laws of the Territory, the work
of the land office has greatly increased
| Everybody seems to want public land
and both Marston Campbell and Joshua
| Tucker are kept so busy answering in
quiries from eager applicants, arrang-
| ing for surveys, meeting with the ad
! visory land board, preparing maps,
plans and specifications and trying to
satisfy the anxious throng that crowds
the land Office day by day, that it is
becoming evident that the Job of land
commissioner is a good deal bigger and
more important now tlan it has ever
! been in the past and demands more time
and attention.
| The commissioner of public lands
ought to have the time to visit every
district in the Islands and talk with
] the people who want lands. giving them
/ the information and instruction they
| need and finding out their sentiments
! But when the commissioner Of public
lands is also the superintendent of pub
| lie works. the head of the survey office
and the chairman of the department of
! agriculture and forestrv-not to men
| ton a few other things--it becomes
| evident that he has little time to go
| galllvanting around the country in
structing would-be homesteaders in how
| to acquire government land, how to hold
it after they once get it. and what
lands are available for demonstrating.
THE present arrangement. said
| Governor Frear Yesterday, " has worked
out very satisfactorily IN to the pres
ent time. But the Job Of commissioner
OF public lands is becoming bigger every
| day, and demands more time and atten-
ton. 1t IS possible that big enough
man might be able to hold down all
! the Jobs satisfactorily and efficiently,
| but men big enough for that combina-
ton do not grow on every tree, and I
am inclined to think that it would be
better TO divorce the land department
from the public works department. The
land work has been getting bigger,
though | believe the work of the public
works department has possibly been
getting smaller of late''
IN case the separation is effected. 1t
is probable that the union of the land
office and the survey department will
he continued. the two departments be
ing so intimately connected and work
ing 50 well together.
Who would be chosen to head the
land Office in case Marston Campbell
were withdrawn and continued only as
superintendent of public works is prob,
lematical. Josh Tucker, however, has
made so good as chief deputy Of the
land Office that it would seem that he
is the Logical man for the Office. even
though it may be that he would be by
no means eager to accept.