Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-10

DETAILED STORY OF
FISHER HEARING TODAY
Fisher: Well. gentlemen, we will
not wait for the Delegate: Mr.. Ash
ford Ii here.
Mr.. Aiken, will you take one of
these chairs over here?
understand that you are planning
to 60 away at noon and before you go
! thought We had better take adyan-
tage OF your being. here to ask you
some questions. What Is your full
name?
Aiken: Worth o. Aiken.
Fisher: Where do you live?
Aiken: In Makawao, Maui
Fisher: What Il your occupation?
Aiken: Small farming generally.
Fisher: When did You first come
to the Islands?
Aiken: In 1891
Fisher: And IL may ask, how old
were you then?
Aiken: About Is.
Fisher: How soon did you begin to
work for yourself?
Aiken: What do You mean?
Fisher; Well I mean independent
1y, OF your own accord; tell us how
you got into the Government employ.
Aiken. went into: the Govern
ment employ when + first came here.
At first / taught school: in fact /
practically worked for myself the sec
ond day after | landed here
Fisher: When did you first become
what you call @small farmer2"
Aiken: Well, like many others, I
came here and acquired q wife and
family and had to do something to
support them, 80 Istarted toswork for
myself
Fisher: What year was that?
Aiken: In 1900.
Fisher: What did YOU do. tell US
about II.
Started Small Farming.
Aiken Well / had to- get q house
for myself, SO looked around and
found place that was vacant and
bought II.
Fisher: Where was this?
Aiken: In Makawao.
9 Fisher: On what island?
Aiken: Maui.
Fisher: How large tract was It?
Aiken Some 500 acres,
Fisher: Did 1t have house on It!
Aiken: Yes
Fisher: Who owned It?
Aiken: At the time bought 1t, it
belong to an Englishman named Won
Tempsky.
Fisher. Did he have a title to the
land; did you buy it. from him?
Aiken: Yes, bought It from him.
Fisher: What kind of land was It !?
To what was 1t best adapted?
Aiken: It was originally planted to
coffee: 1t was well adapted to it Parts
Of IL were planted in cane. The Gus.
tom was at that time. to plant cane on
the upper lands where there was more
rainfall; and use the lower lands for
dairying purposes.
Fisher: What was it being used for
when yon bought ii?
Aiken: Chiefly for dairying,
Fisher: What did you use 1t for?
Have you ever undertaken to raise
any cane on 1t?
Aiken: No.
Fisher: Are there OJner Small lat
mers in that vicinity?
Aiken. Yes.
Fisher: There are quite number?
Aiken: Yes sir.
Fisher: How large tracts do they
own?
Aiken: Wen. anywhere from 40 to
100 acres.
Fisher: Are they what have been
called whites here in this discussions
or Hswaiians, or Portuguese. or ia
panese? e
Aiken. Well, We have practically
all races there Chinese, Japanese.
Portuguese, Hawaiians and whites"
as you call them.
Many Small Holders.
Fisher: Among these people are
there those who have small holdings?
Aiken: Yes, sir.
Fisher: Now, do any Of them raise
cane on the lands? 81
Aiken: No. = ~
Fisher: In what kind of farming
are they usuallys engagedf ~
Aiken: Some hundred odd Portu.
guese families are living just back Of
us; their chief crop is grapes. There
is a. winery there and they sell their
grapes, to the winery. They are also
raising a great mnay vegetables
which they take to sell In the planta.
~ Z