The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-29
A NEW PLAN FOR
LAND OPENING
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been able to make a proper start for
themselves. With many of them the
matter Of raising four or five hundred
dollars to build home was out of the
question. But the people in that con
ditiOn are Just the ones likely to be
sincere h)mesteaders. There was no
idea of speculation with them, and
they have settled in their homes, made
good, and there will be practically no
defaults in meeting the obligations of
their mortgages.
1.-The difficulty in the way Of the
Territory helping settlers on public
lands, IN the same way, is that public
funds can not legally be used to aid
such private enterprises as the estab-
lishment Of a home or a homestead.
But | think that the Territory has
power to improve its land before sell
ing It. and can aid the homesteaders
by so doing. The Territory has just as
much right, it seems to me, to erect
homes on its public lands, as to con
struct roads and do other things to i'm
prove the lands.
1.-THE plan I favor and which we
shall probably report will be that the
legislature make an appropriation for
the purpose of building homes on the
public lands, before the lands are
opened to settlers Let the homes cost,
say $500 each. and let there be an
appropriation of $250,0o0 a year. I
think million dollars spent in this
way would be well spent. 1t would
furnish two thousand homes for set
tiers on public lands. Our experiment
at McBryde has shown that the loan
plan is safe one. The Territory
could sell the land, home and all, on
term payments, just as it now sells
lands
at has been found by the federal
government in experiments of a similar
nature, where money is spent for irri-
CATION enterprises. that the number of
settlers who default on payments is
astonishingly small, just as we have
found on Kauai. It seems to me that
the territorial government could well
spare some Of the money it is spending
in other ways, for this experiment. The
mortgage, as | have said. is as good
as government bonds for the class of
settlers who take up this sort of propo,
Sit on are tHo~e VINO really want TO
make their own homes and farms
u do not consider that the plan we
are outlining at present involves inter
ference with the big sugar tracts. Ma
ture has made division of the lands
herself. The products, such az pine
apples, with which the settlers can
prosper. are unsuted to the lower lands
from which the best cane comes. -
The resolution under which the com
mission has been working is as fol
lows:
'"That as soon as NAV be after the
approval Of this resolution. the Gov
ernor appoint a commission Of three
members, who shall be experienced and
competent persons. which commission
shall thoroughly investigate and ex-
anime INTO the matter Of fruit grow.
ING and truck farming throughout the
Territory, together with the feasibility
Of giving aid thereto by providing as
s1Sfance 'n the matter Of refrigeration,
packing and Transportation marketing
or any Ike subject. The conclusions
reached by such commission shall be
embodied by them in report to be
made by them ia the Governor not later
than July ], 1910. together with their
Recommendations as - legislation =
such l. needed. which report shall he
LAID hefor" the next legislature by the
Governor
The Commission viii file its report