The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-12-19

APPLICATIONS
FOR LAND

A meeting or the Land Board was
held this morning in the throne room
at the Capitol Building for the pur-
pose of examining witnesses who had
signed petitions for the opening of
land at Keakea and Waihouha. Mr.
Carter presided, and there were pre-
sent Messrs. Kinney, Trent, Dwight,
Brown and Marston Campbell.
The chairman administered the
cath to each witness.
Charles Wilcox was the first wit
ness examined. lie said that he
wrote letter covering twenty-five
applications for homesteads in the
lower or beach section at Keakea
He was examined by Mr. Carter and
said chat most of the applicants went
ITO him personally in regard to the ap-
plications. He thought that people
still wanted the land that they had
applied for-about thirty acres each.
Most of the land was lowlying. it could
be cultivated; IN fact some of it was
being cultivated by natives. The land
applied for was covered with algaroba
trees. He had been told that the
trees would grow just as fast as they
were cut down. He did not think that
it was true that the applicants only
wanted the land for the sake of the
firewood. The natives had informed
him that if land were cleared of al
garobdl trees for firewood, in five
years just as much wood could again
be procured. He thought that the ap-
plicants would endeavor to get their
patents.
Mr. Wood would cot want any of
the land, but his wife might. He
could not say what she would do with
it, but on adjoining lots the natives
were raising chickens and pigs. Some
of them were selling wood and alga-
roba beans. In regard to the land
above the wooded lots, that was not
sought after, for it rained there about
once year, when some grass ap-
peared, but all the rest of the yeaI
il was dry and bare. The soil was
10 good, but there was good land
close by. He might use the dry land
for pasture He did not know of any
natural connection that would make
il unfair to separate the two classes
of land.
To Marston Campbell, witness stat
Ell that he thought that the applicants
intended to take up the lands, and
that there would be objections to
clauses compelling them to live on
the land, and to maintain a certain
number of trees. He did not seek
signatures to the petition for Che
opening of the land. The petitioners
called on him in regard to the mat
ter.
At this stage witness was warned
that once a man had signed a petition
asking for land to be opened, he was
rrecluded from ever signing another
petition for the same purpose. The
Board thought that Mr.. Wilcox should
give advice accordingly. Then a long
discussion ensued on the question of
whether the twenty five men who
signed the petition had precedence
ever oil others in the choice of land.
Marston Campbell said that the At
torney General had advised him that
they would not have precedence.
Mr.. Kinney contended that such
was not the case, and was sure that
the Supreme Court would support
him.
Addressing Mr.. Wilcox, Mr.. Kinney
said that the Board was glad to know
that the men who had signed the
petitions meant business, and the
Board would give them the righf-of-
way every time If the men meant,
honestly, to live up to their agree
ments. There would be no let out or
forgiveness for the man who would
not live on his land.
A, Correa said that he was one of
the petitioners. His reasons for try
ing to get more land was that he had
large amily-jseventeen children
were alive. Although the land ap-