The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-31
A NEW PLAN
FOR LAND
OPENING
Suggestion That the Territory
Build Two Thousand
Homes.
REPORT TO GOVERNOR
Commission on Aid to Home
steaders Outlining Plan for
the Next Legislature.

The territorial commission on loans
TO homesteaders, appointed by Governor
Frear under joint resolution of the
last legislature, win soon have report
TO present to the Governor, which may
form the basis of the most compre
hensive scheme yet undertaken for the
settling of the public lands of Hawai-
by citizen homesteaders. The commits
, sioners are w. A. Kinney, chairman
James w. Pratt, former land commits
sioner, and Hon. w. w. Harris. The
commissioners have collected great
deal of data upon which to base theil
report, and though they have not ye
formally agreed upon the form of theil
findings, it can be stated that they will
recommend that the Territory lent
material financial aid to settlers.
''The homesteaders at Kalaheo have
market for all the produce they car
raise" said Mr.. Kinney yesterday
"They were assisted in settling on thu
McBryde lands, in the matter of home
building, mortgages being taken fo
the money advanced. Those mortgages
are as safe as government bonds.
regard the security as perfect. TIT
settlers are doing well. and are show
ing what settlers can do here, in thei
own homes, if given chance to start
been able to mako a proper start fol
themselves. With many of them thu
matter of raising four OF five hundred
dollars TO build home was cut CT thu
question. But the people in that con
dition are just the ones likely to b'
sincere Imesteaders. There was nj
idea of speculation with them, am
they have settled in their homes, mad
good, end there will be practically nj
defaults in meeting the obligations O.
their mortgages.
efThe difficulty in the way of tn,
Territory helping settlers on public
lands, in the same way is that public
funds can not. legally be used to ait
such private enterprises az the estab
lishment of home or a homestead
But think that the Territory ha
power to improve its land before sell
ing it, and can aid the hon esteader
by so doing The Territory has just a
much right, it seems to nc, to cree
homes on its public lands, as to con
struct roads and do other things to i'm
prove the lands.
''The plan 1 favor and which W.
shall probably report will be that TIN
legislature make an appropriation TO
the purpose of building homes on tn
public lands, before the lands ar
opened to settlers. Let the homes cost
say $500 each, and let there be al
appropriation of $250,000 a year.
think a million dollars spent in thi
way would be well spent. 1t woult
furnish two thousand homes for set
tiers on public lands. Our experiment
at McBryde has shown that TIE LOAF
plan is safe one The Territor.
could sell the land, home and all OF
term payments, just as it now sell
lands.
eft has been found by the fedora
government in experiments of simila
nature, where money is spent for irri
cation enterprises, that the number o
settlers who default on payments j
astonishingly small, just as we hav
found on Kauai. 1t seems to me tina
the territorial government could wei
spare some of the money it is spending
in other ways, for this experiment. Tn
mortgage, as I have said, is as goo
as government bonds, for the class o
settlers who take up this sort of propo
sition are those who really want t.
make their own homes and farms.
AhaA he ,aIo
are outlining at present involves inter
ference with the big sugar tracts. Ma
ture has made division of the land
herself, The products, such as pine
apples, with which the settlers cal
prosper, are unsuited to the lower land
from which the best cane comes"
The resolution under which the com
mission has been working is as fol
lows:
''That as soon as may be after tn
approval of this resolution, the Gov
ernor appoint a commission of thre
members, who shall be experienced an,
competent persons, which commission
shall thoroughly investigate and ex
anime into the matter of fruit grow
ing and truck farming throughout tn
Territory, together with the feasibilit.
of giving aid thereto by providing as
sistanee in the matter of refrigeration
packing and transportation, marketin
or any like subject. The conclusion
reached by such commission shall b
embodied by them in report to b
made nv them TO the Governor not late
than July l, 1870. together with thei
recommendations as to legislation
such is needed, which report shall b
laid before the next legislature by tn
Governor.
The commission will file its repor
in about a month. 1t viii. as befor
indicated, amount practically to a rec
ommendatiOn that the Territory under
take a colonization scheme to settl
it's public lands. Following the Or
ganie Act amendments Just made b,
congress, it is believed TO open th
way for much prosperous homesteading