Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-30
GOVERNOR POINTS
TO 4 YEARS. WORK
Fisher Is Shown
What Has Been
Accomplished

HONSEHOT waiter r. fT6ar tO0k the
witness stand before Secretary of
the Interior Fisher this morning and
began a statement that will be one
OF the big features of the inyestiga-
tion made by the Secretary into Dele
gate Kuhio's charges and Hawaiian
land conditions.
His statement was not concluded
when the hearing adjourned shortly
after 1890 o'clock, and, will be con-
tinued tomorrow. 1t involves his en-.
tire administration, his policies, par
ticularly with reference to home
steading, and the actual results &C
complished in 'peopling the land
Told by Secretary Fisher to give
the facts in his own way and to
bring out such points as he consider
ed pertinent to the occasion and the
Secretary's general mission here, the
Governor started with a review OF
the homesteading law and something
OF the conditions which prevailed
when he took Office four years ago.
From this he passed to a brief sum-
mary of the work of the advisory land
commission, took up then the new
laws as recommended by the legisla-
ture and passed by Congress, and
dwelt somewhat. at length on the ma
ture of the changes made.
Then the Governor went into the
development of homesteading under
his administration, and brought out
strongly the. fact that under his ad-
ministration there have been an aver
age OF 253 homesteads taken up an.
nually, as against 1873 annually for
the seven years preceding, under 9TH
er administrations.
Statement ls Careful
The Governors statement was lis
tened to with deep interest through
out. occasionally there were slight in
terruptions when Mr.. Fisher or 9TH
ers asked questions, but for, the most
part the Governor went along stead
ily. He spoke slowly and chose his
words carefully, developing as he
went the facts of what he has done
and tried to do to give the small farm
er and the homesteader a fai: deal
in Hawaii. -----
Early in his statement, the Governor
showed that two tracts at least OF
cane lands have been, opened about
which the Delegate and his attorney
seemed to know nothing. Secretary
Fisher commented upon this quickly
I'm good many instances the Dele
gates complaint appears correct, ana
In good many instances it appears
not correct" he suggested, pointing
out that the Governor had just dis
uroyed part of the Delegates com
plaint of homesteading not being pro-
NOTED under his administration. he
said that the Delegates complaint IN
this particular seems too broad, ana
Ashford replied, I'VE have found
enough to say that it is too broad.
The Railroad Accident Law.
After dwelling on the homesteadlng
matter, the Governor began to take
up other features of the complaint.
The inquiry turned aside from this line
a little to deal with the story related
to Secretary Fisher that four Japan
ese children had been killed on the
y. K. & l.. tracks and no damage
could be recovered because of the law
passed by the last Legislature free
ing railroads from responsibility for
accI0ents occurring to pedestrians on
ON'SAAN
said be himself thought this clause
should be strickep from the bill, and
explained that the bill came to him
late in, the session, and while he dis
approved it, he signed because there
was legal doubt as to whether the
bill itself was not so worded that the
clause was merely 'decEaratory. He
said also that he was loath to veto
the Eill because other important meas
ures were to be dealt with and he did
not wish to waste his strength"
Fisher went into the facts of the
case from several persons in the room
and learned that the accident happen
ed before the passage of the bill. How
ever, Fisher intimated that he himself
does not believe the law is right, and
that the roads should not be freed
from the consequences of gloss negli-
gence.
Labor Troubles Probed.
Another feature today was that At
torney General Lindsay was put on
the stand and questioned closely by
Attorney Ashford regarding the ar
rest of laborers during the visit of the
steamship Senator a year ago and