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

had q good deal to do with the failure.
as the road facilifiess were. moor. The
lands are rather high mp IN the woods
and no roads up 10 the different lots.
Fisher New yon spoke OF the cost
Of picking-why did il cost so much
to pick the coffee?
& Aiken: Well laobr could not be OBJ
tanned for less than a dollar o day,
and picking Is = slow process.
Fisher: Did the settlers themselves
pick the coffee?
Aiken: They worked themselves;
most OF them were Portngueses; but
had to hire additional help when the
coffee needed to be picked. and the
expense was what made II unpros +
able.
Fisher: Then they subsequently
tried sugar cane on these lands and
this turned out badly
Aiken: Yes. . -
Fisher: Was this due to the china
tic conditions, or to transportation
facilities in getting the cane to the
mill? =,
Aiken: The failure was purely due
to the character OF the soil and china
tie conditions. They never got to the
point Of getting to a mill.
Fisher: With what other home
stealing venture are yon acquainted?
Aiken: There has been very sue
cessful demonstrating little further
along. In the nature of opening up
small holdings In taro lands IN the
Hawaiian community. They were Civ
en- house, lots of two or three acres
each and from 0ne.half to one acre OF
taros land. So far they have been
very successful and are doing very
wen.
Fisher: Now where do these pe0-
pie work: do they confine their, laobr
exclusively to their own tar0. patell.
or do they work in the neighboring
pIantations2 -
Work on Roads.
Aiken: There is no plantation in
that vicinity; but they get work on
the roads and trails being built In
that locality.
Fisher: Suppose this road work
should cease or largely diminish, then
they would. have to depend upon hy-
ing upon the produce that they raise.
Do. vol. think they could make q hy-
ing on their own products If this work
were taken away from thema
Aiken: Yes, think they raise SUI
ficient food for themselves there. a
good many go down to~the Kahuiuf
Railroad Company and work; some
On 10 Hama and work on the planta-
Fisher: How far are these planta-
lions from the holnesteadsa
Aiken: Hama Il about % miles;
some plantations are 40 or SO miles
Fisher: Do the families stay, on
the homestead, orr do they take them
with them?
Aiken They usually stay ON the
homesteads. ss
FISHER: This taro land would It
be adatped to sugar cane II these peo-
ple were not living on it
Aiken: Yes, but not O. great deal
Of it: but part Of It would Sundoubfr
ediy grow very good sugar cane.
Ffsher. Was It government land In
the beginning?
Aiken: Yes sir.
Fisher: What. other experiments
have been mado, In homesteaaings
ctller Ekneriments.
Aiken a number OF experiments
have been made. "A tract was opened
ups in. the early days IN kahakuioa
But It was opened up In lots OF TOO
large an area. oMst OF the people
who applied for the lots were Hawaii
ans The lands were also too dry.
There are some very choice taro lands,
however. in Kahakuloa. So that eacn
man received e. lot Of dry land ana
in addition got his taro land. II prov.
ed an entire failure as far as the up
ner lands were concerned One OF the
,recmirAments was that the. lands
should be- fenced. 1t was an absolute
impossibility to fence some OF the
lands. The Hawaiians cultivated the
faro lands and paid no attention 70
the unper lands. the consequence was
that in time all the hoidfnes WeIS
cancelled.
Fisher: The taro. lands were IN.
cluded in the holdings, were they, ana
cancelled too? -,
Aiken: Yes sir. The taro land
was, 8 part of the lot &, 4.
FISHER: Have these higher lands
ever been susceptible to Improvement
by. anybody? -
Aiken: They are only good for sec
ond class pasture land:
Are they now being used for any
thing? m
They are still being used by Ha-
waiians for taro lands; the upper
lands are now under lease.
To whom are they leased!
They were originally leased in four
lots to four Portuguese parties: They
are now leased to two white men, |
believe.
what did they try to do with it?
Raise taro.
What are the present holders try
ing to. do with it? q
Raise taro. BY combating the
whole. four. lots and being able to
sniff back and forth they hope to
make something out Of IT.
- II w