The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-23
NO LEASE FOR
WAIAK0A LAND
TRENT DECLINES TO VOTE FoR
TEN THOUSAND ACRE PASTURE
LEASE.

The Lana Boaro met yesterday aft.
ernoon. and the attempt TO settle the
Waiakoa land question again failed. Il
will no doubt be recalled that an ap.
plication for ten thousand acres OF
this land was received from the Corn.
well Estate, while another letter was
received from a John Correa In which
he stated that a petition had been
drafted for presentation to the Board
urging that the land be cut up into
ten lots of ], 900 acres each, and that it
be leased to those who desired these
lots. A long discussion failed to set
tie matters, because the petition had
not been received, Mr.. Trent Directing
to deal with the question until the
petition had been received. Since the
last meeting information had been re.
ceived that the petition was I'm Attor-
ney Tavares' Office awaiting further
signatures.
Yesterday Secretary Brown stated
that he had written to Mr.. Correa ask
ing him if he had in mind p. Joseph's
letter when he referred to a petition.
On September 10 Correa replied by
wireless telegraphy asking that the
board defer action in the matter, and
await full particulars by mail. On
the same date he wrote and stated
that the Letter received from Pete Jo-
seph was not the document referred
to as a petition. He proceeded to ex-
plain that the petition in question was
signed by a number of citizens and
others interested, who requested that
the government have the land in ques-
ton divided into one thousand acre
blocks. The petition was then put in
to the hands of Attorney Tavares. AS
the writer had not copy of the petit
ton he asked that further action be
deferred until the petition be found,
or until he had had an opportunity to
have another one drawn up.
Also on September 10 Pete Joseph
wrote stating that he had handed the
petition to Attorney Tavares as ar
ranged early last month. The writer
had come to the conclusion that the
petition had been ignored.
The secretary then explained the
situation.
The Land Commissioner stated that
1t would take two or three days to
divide the land up on the map, after
which it would have to be surveyed,
the cost of which would be between
$500 and $1,000 1t was really terra
incognita.
Mr.. Dwight when asked his opinion
regarding the matter, said that it
would be satisfactory to him to have
the land cut up, if it were in the in
terest of the government to do so.
Mr.. Andrade said that he had had
some ranching experience, and per-
sonally he was opposed to cutting up
the large section, especially in the drv
parts. The only way to save stock in
the drought was to open up all the
paddocks and let the herds run to-
gether. If a herd were Kept on a
1000 acre block during a drought
when there was scarcity of water
the whole lot would surely perish
The Land Commissioner intimated
that there was not much water in the
district There was a spring that ran
about $500 gallons day. That was
the only spring in the district as far
as he knew. The domestic supply
was obtained from brooks and tanks.
Fortunately, during the past season
there had been copious rains, and the
grazing lands were now in good con-
dition. In the dry seasons the peo-
pie there depended upon cisterns.
Even with the cisterns, year ago
the cattle from one of the ranches had
to be driven down towards the sea,
where some brackish water was
found.
Mr.. Andrade intimated that if any
body would make a motion bearing on
the matter, he would second it.
Mr.. Trent-"Anybody mention my
manner"
After a lengthy pause, no one had
made any move, so Mr. Andrade then
moved: THAT this board advises the
Commissioner of Lands to sub-divide
these lands into two-thousand acre
tracts, and the board consents and APP
proves of the leasing of those tracts
of land for the period of twenty
years, at an upset price of ten cents.