The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-10-01

When he was at college and in law
school. lie WIS APPOINTED circuit
Judge by Queen L.nuokalani; then as
soclate Justice on the supreme bench
under the Provisional Government; then
first associate justice under the Repub-
lie OF Hawai-; then chief Justice of the
territorial supreme court by President
Mckinley, and then Governor by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. He was chairman of
the commission that annotated the laws
OF the Territory and was a member of
the commission appointed by President
Mckinley to draft tire Organic Act.
About month and half after APP
pointment as Governor he took office.
lie followed Governor Carter who re-
signed before his term of office was
over. His own appointment was prac-
tlcally new appointment and was not
made to fill out the unexpired term of
Governor Carter. His was recess ap.
pointed and he was again appointed
while congress was in session. He was
appointed in 1907, for the full term of
four years.
Interested in Homesteading.
Before / took office l had been very
much interested in the homesteadinp
problem of the Territory" said Gov.
ernor Frear, "and feeling that 1 might
do something toward the solution of
that problem was one of the reasons
why L was willing to accept the ap.
pointment as Governor, which / did re.
luctantly. l at once began a study
of the demonstrating question. I
adopted several policies which had not
been previously followed. One was
that l would not exchange large areas
OF country areas for small areas of city
lands because of the very small area
of lands suitable and available for
homesteading purposes. have made
only three exchanges of large areas of
land, in each case getting a larger area
than was given by the Territory, and
getting land that was more suitable
for homesteading.
After investigating the subject for
some time, L was convinced that there
was need of radical changes, both in
the laws relating to homesteading and
again in their administra ton. For in
stance, well, the chief difficulty seemed
to be that there was every inducement
both on the part of the small people
seeking land and on the part of the
large landholders, particularly the plan
tations, to use the homestead laws for
the purpose of transferring lands from
| the government to others for purposes
other than genuine homesteading.
% After crystallizing my own views
on the subject to some extent, / APP
pointed an advisory hand law commits
sion, partly for their views after an
independent study of the matter, and
partly for the purpose of ventilating
these matters and educating the public
up to the new ideas, because | felt,
among other things, that L had to get
the support of the public in order to
carry out the changes and reforms.
| All Sides Represented.
! 81 appointed this commission from
the different elements in the commun-
ity. For instance, L put on it w. A.
Kinney, and A. w. Carter, who,
think, had the reputation of being, if
anything, more radical on the home
stead question than was myself / ap-
pointed also A. Lewis, mainly because
he was comparatively recent conner
and also quite familiar with conditions
on the mainland and it seemed to me
that it would be good thing to have
new blood"
''Did Mr.. Lewis come here as rep
, VI ar ihtClcSI VI Oh
his own initiative2' inquired the Sec
rotary.
He came here on his own account.
| am not sure whether he came here ON
the recommendation of Mr.. Chittenden,
the attorney with whom he was asso-
ciated. won't be positive. I APP
pointed Hawaiian, Mr.. Kanakanui,
who had had more to do with surveying
homesteads and coming into contact
with homesteaders, particularly the
Hawaiian homesteaders, than anyone
else. l appointed Mr.. Thomas as one
of the best representatives of the
American homesteaders. He was one
l'of the homesteaders at Wahiawa, ON
this island. L appointed Mr.. Carlsmith
as representative on the other islands
and a man who had given much
thought to the subject and who was
in the center of what might be called
! the dissatisfaction in regard to home
stead matters, and who had had OPP
portunities to observe the actual work
ing of the homestead laws. And 1 ap-
pointed j. p. Cooke as representing the
planting interests and as perhaps the
most progressive and most interested
in homesteading among the planters.
These made report. They had public
hearings-they sent out circulars to all
persons they could think of who might
have views on the subject, and finally
they prepared a report.
Organic Act Amendments.
81 then went to Washington on
} many matters of business and drafted
a bill on my way over which was in
troduced in congress. 1t was not passed
, at that time. Shortly after my return
J the legislature held a session and the
matter was discussed more or less in
the legislature. i myself went before
the legislature and addressed them on
i the subject. This was the legislature
: of 1909, the first legislature of my adj
, ministration-in February, 1909. The
legislature took no action in regard to
! the matter and before the next session
/ lof congress / called TO my office a num-
le CONTINUED On Page F1ve.)