The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-06-17


that land, nobody else has any chance
to get it. 1 don't think that would
be right, The executive branch of
the government ought to be satisfied to
have full and fair opportunity offered
for demonstrating.
every man who can get twenty.
four others with him has a fixed and
absolute right to agricultural land
There's absolutely no discretion on
that point. Then the question comes
up what land9' and there's where the
discretion of the executive comes in. y
And Kinney read from the Organic Act
amendments:
whenever twenty-five or moro
persons, having the qualifications
of homesteaders, who have not
Heretofore made application un.
der this Act shall make written
application to the commissioner Of
public lands for the opening of
agricultural lands for settlement in
any locality or district, it shall be
the duty of said commissioner to
proceed expeditiously to survey
and open for entry agricultural
lands, whether unoecupied or un.
der lease with the right Of with.
drawal, sufficient in area to pro.
vide homesteads for all such per.
sons, together with all persons of
like qualifications who shall have
filed. with such commissioner prior
to the survey of such lands writ.
ten applications for homesteads in
Nhn Afot,.iat InutanoNnl 10,
plications. The lands to be so
opened for settlement by said com.
missioner shall be either the spe.
cifc tract or tracts applied for or
other suitable and available agri-
cultural lands in the same geo
graphical district, AND AS FAR
AS POSSIBLE, IN, THE IMME.
date LOCALITY OF AND AS
NEARLY EQUAL TO THAT Alp
Piled FOR AS MAY BE AVAIL
ABLE"
Plantations Hostile.
"I believe" said Chairman Garter
"that this act was passed for the pun
pose of assisting the settlement of tn
land with small homesteaders. I be
lieve that in the past the plantations
with some exceptions, have been hostil
to almost every homesteading propose
tion, and congress has got tired of
and has determined that the land shal
go to the people.
con the other hand, it would be foo
ish to divide up land unsuited for home
steaders. 1t would be foolish to sui
| divide waste lands. And, so far q
notice is concerned, every man in thi
Territory has already been notified"
Campbell said he thought the wor
of his Office would be expedited if
were admitted that the land commits
sioner has some slight discretion.
The Final Test.
"The final test,'' said Kline,
"should be in the yes or no Of the PEI
pie as to whether or not they want I'll
land. This board should not have I
assume the responsibility of guessin
whether any given land wanted I
homesteading or not"
Brown suggested new point of vieV
leasing as well as homesteading, ar
there is justice called for in the cat
of the lessees. A man might have
lease of land obviously not suited f,
homesteads, and it might be essenti
for him to know promptly what h
status is. There ought to be the lea
possible interference, and delay shou
not be longer than is necessary. II
situation ought to be reasonably co
sidered and some discretion used as
whether or not there is any hope of Il
land being wanted for homesteads.'
Hawaii Rebulxed.
"You1l get into quicksands," T
piled Kinney, eff anything short Of {
actual public offer of any given land f
homesteading is going to serve for n
tice. Sometimes there1l be barr,
result, but you've got to take tn
chance rather than err along the lin
of this act, that is practically a rebul
to the people of this Territory"
Campbell suggested that it would
an excellent plan, whenever applicable
is made for the renewal of license,
publish notice of it in the papers,
that all persons interested, includii
possible homesteaders, may know VIII
is going to be done. This plan W
warmly approved by the commissions
In the end no decision was reached
regard to the Kapaa leases, and {
commissioners adjourned, to meet aga
at ten O'Clock this morning.
4