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

we 6uCcSS0S0 III Yldcl1B ~ SUCCESSFUL
and desirable class of homesteaders
upon that land he. would see that the
plantation themselves homesteaded a
thousand acres more.
Ashford: Was there any talk at
that time of placing that land at the
disposal Of any particular group of
persons?
Aiken None that know 81. &
Ashford How did it happen that
this California Settlement Associa-
tion was formed?
Aiken don't know, except be-
lieye thfodgh the efforts Of Mr.. Star
lrett.
ASHFORD Tell us who Mr.. starrett
Aiken: He is in charge of the
marketing division Of the Bureau Of
| Agriculture.
Ashford And was ne connected
with the government at the time Of
the inception Of this plan?
| Aiken; don't think he was
Ashford What was his business or
yocatio1 at that time?
Aiken don't know.
lae was not settled on the Islam Is !?
No
Was there any understanding with
Mr.: Starrett to the effect that II thai
land could be- acquired by the gov
| eminent that he and his friends would
IhaYe the opportunity of settling ii,
Tor it would be assigned to fhem2
"a Aiken: No; no such thing as that
| was thought of. Prior to its being
acquired there was no understanding
Iof that kind as to the parties to
whom It should be assigned. Abso-
lutely none. +
Ashford: You have mentioned that
there were a number of inquiries made
| Of you regarding it You mentioned
particularly several young Portu-'
guese. What were the nature Of
these inqufrfesf
They merely came to ask me when
the land was to be cut up. It had
not been surveyed at that time,
AT the time that these inquiries
we're being made you were aware of
no plan to devote it to parties not
then within the Territory?
Not in any definite wey at all. We
hoped We could get a class Of settlers
|Irbm away.
What Information, instructions or
guidance did you give to these in
luirers relative to the possibility of
the land being opened?
Aiken: referred them to this of
/ flee here /.
Ashford: DO you know q man named
Nelson Koloa
n
Did he make inquiry
He did. He stopped me one day
at the station as | was going to- Ka..
hului and asked ME about these lands
being put up. 4 said that they had
not been advertised, and that ! knew.
nothing about what the plans were.
IN fact, 1sdidn,t know that the lands
were to be put up until the very last
We were joking back and forth and
slapped him on the back and said, !
We, viii be pretty hard up when We
have homesteaders like you up there
Of course, this was just joke be
tween u.s. IS
Ashford Did you ever, to Mr. Mel
son Koloa or others give the I'M
preston or say anything to give the /
impression that thosej lands would
not be assigned To residents of the.
Territory, but reserved for the haoles
from the mainiandg
Aiken: No. I don't know as I ever
did.
Ashford: Did you have any such
idea yourself. that they were not to
be given to residents of the Terri
tory? q.
Aiken: No. / didn 4 lss go 20. 81 IS
Fisher Do you think 1t would have 1
been an abuse of discretion to have
given these lands to mainland set
tiers?
Aiken: II there was such discre-.
ton, it might not However, if the
local residents were to have been gen.
orally disseminated against there
might have been a good reason for it
Fisher: The mere fact that fnmi |
grafton from the mainland was Ell
couraged was not in itself an objec-
ton. was 1t?