The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-08-01

The Territory of Hawaii, through
Governor Frear, has declared war ON
fake homesteaders. The Governor, YES.
terday, issued plain warning to this
class of gentry and at the same time
made it plain that the administration
wishes that every effort should be
made to assist and encourage bona
fide settlement. The following state
ment was made by the Governor in
answer to requests by The Advertiser
for information with respect to the in.
vestigation of homesteads ON Hawaii
by the attorney-general's Department.
During the last two years the gov
eminent has been collecting lnforma-
ton in regard to every one of the
1890 lots disposed of as homesteads
from the enactment of the present land
laws to their recent amendments, that
is, during about fifteen years whether
the lot has been patented, forfeited,
surrendered or is still held with view
to obtaining a patent or homestead
lease. The object of this inventory or
census, as it were, of the homesteads
is to ascertain accurately the status
of euch homestead, with special refer
-ence to whether it has been a success
or failure and why, in order that we
may know better what course to pursue
in the future.
Bogur demonstrating.
More recently, IN consequence. of ap-
plications for patents for number of
lots of cane lands which were taken
as homesteais in 1907 and In conse-
quenee of certain known or reported
facts and of suspicious circumstances
appearing upon the face of the appli.
cations. special investigation has been
made by the Encouragement d.
partment with a view to ascertaining
whether the applicants are entitled to
their patents, and to obtaining and dis
ssminating information which will
tend to more successful homesteading
hereafter by enabling the administra
tion to guard more effectually against
evasions of the spirit of the home
stead laws, by impressing on home
steaders what their rights and d1ties
are and by creating sane public SEN
timent ON this subject.
The results of this Investigation are
most discolragIng to homesteading as
hitherto conducted AMI most convincing
that certain policies recently adopted
IN methods of demonstrating, especial
ly in the case of cane lands, should be
pursued hereafter and even further
developed in order to insure against
bogus homesteading.
This investigation covered 5s home
steads, averaging 1898 acres each and
aggregating 1908 acres, which were
sold at an average price of $924.47 a
lot and an aggregate price of $35,619.,
55, or, say, from one-third to one-sixth
of their real value. This is practical
ly all cane land, highly cultivated up
to the time it was homesteaded, and con
stitutes nearly one-half of all the cane
land that has been homesteaded,
Four Groups, Investigated.
Four groups of homesteads were in
vestigated, namsly: IL homesteads
comprised in the Thompson Settlement
Association at Kalnamano on the Hut
crimson plantation in Kan, all under
right of purchase leases; IA comprised
in the osorio Settlement Association at
Kaiwiki III. on the Hakalau planta-
tion in North Hilos all under right of
purchase leaves; 13 hOmesteads on the
Opea-Peleau land on the same planta.
ton, all under right of purchase leases;
and 10 homesteais ON said land mt Ka.
wiki III, all under cash freehold
agreements.
Two general distinctions may be OBJ.
served, namely, One between the right
Of purchase lease and the cash free
hold agreement, with reference TO the
leass with which the spirit OF the home.
stead laws mHy be eyaded aud con
sequeBtly With FefeFence 70 the RENE.
dies. II any, available for preventing
fake demonstrating, aud the other be.
tween the group Of homesleads oa the
kau side aud the three groups oa the
lilo side 81 The Island. with fefefanea
10 flq methods that have been PIT.
eu8a by thR homesteAdaFa. The arst
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