Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-12
so had land and water rights.

plantations had been absorbed, an
having been absorbed among thes
five new corporations, they came t.
i gether. 5~a
Thurston: There was no excessiv,
holding of either the Haiku or tn,
Paia plantation. The land of thes,
FIVE other corporations was obtained
from entirely different source. The,
formed corporations of less than 1905
acres in order to comply with thu
law. The creditors of the Kihei plan
tation finally compromised by agree
ing to take over a certain amount oil
land, which was approximately 500(
acres and cancel the debt of $500 900
They then formed five corporations tc
take over this land. -" .&E%s
Fisher: You were one OF those
creditors? II
Thurston: l never was the credit
or of anybody. =
Fisher: Well, do you wish to ask
any question, Mr. Ashford
Ashford: No. ..<..-... Il s-,--s .>,s,,
Fisher: Very much obliged, Mr..
Thurston, il We had the time, / wish
we could go further. into this ques-
ton. .- - D.. i < 49, - . ! /, L.
The oIaa Contracts. s~..~, Il
Thurston: There is one point /
wish to speak oftpery briefly. l have
heard that there has been complaint
made to you that the lOlaa Sugar
Company had reduced the price of
where it was no longer profitable for
the homesteaders to cultivate. would
like to state the circumstances under
which that reduction took place.
The statement made to me was that
there were about 100 homesteaders
who had been in the coffee business
who were on the ragged edge Of bank
ruptcy and the upshot of ii was that
a sugar plantation was formed, and
the trainers, who, consisted of B. #.
Dillingham;, Alfred w. Carter and my.
self, went in and bought outright, Civ
ing in each case the option to the
planter to take his share in cash or
in stock or part in both Some took
one course, some another. AS mat
ter of fact we all Of us were rather
idealists on the question OF home
stealing and desired to retain, as far
as possible the homesteaders who
were there AS matter OF fact about
half the homesteaders sold out. We
were DESTROYS of obtaining the feten-
ton of as many homesteaders as pos.
sible to try and Americanize the coun-
try, and was delegated to look into
the question of giving contracts to
the homesteaders for planting cane.
was somewhat new at lit and got as
many forms of contracts as / could.
I submitted a report to the directors
Of the Company and recommended a
form of contract which gave larger
Of sugar to the homestead
was greater than any that
had been given before or since. Un--l
der that form of contract 1t was con
siderably more favorable than the
adjacent plantations, and / was told
by some of the adjacent plantation |
men that it was not necessary to give
such a contract. felt justified In
1oing il. however, and as q matter OF |
TACT did negotiate number OF con-
tracts.
Absentee Landlordism Grows.
To our intense chagrin, however, In
tead of these more favorable terms
folding white men there, we found
his gradual process going on-of the
ctual homesteader subleasing to ORR
ntals, first part, finally the whole.
,radually they removed from the dis
riot until four of FIVE years ago we
ad Just one white man who was
Torking himself under this contract
If. Curtis. Every one of them had
ecome an absentee landlord. The re-
ult was that the men who were actu-
lily doing the work on the land were
citing no more for their cane than
1ese other men who were working on
diacent plantations. The only result,
lerefore, of this more favorable con-
act was that the plantation had built
D a lot of absentee landlords, who
ere drawing the difference between
he actual rental and the rental to
he Orientals. Without going into de-
ills, as matter Of fact, the planta-
on was not paying anything. AS
after of fact, the plantation has new
paid a dollar in dividends and 1t
rs a bonded debt of two and a half
illion dollars and a floating debt of
,mething over 100000. 1t has pros !,
,cts, of course. The par Of the stock
$40 and is now selling for 4 or 5. :
Fisher: ANY water in that stock?
Thurston: l wouldn't call it water. :
he corporation was organized on a
sis of 100000. The lands were !
It in for two and a half million dol ),
rs. They bought the land in at :,
inimum price of $75 and a maximum
ice of $125 an acre, and turned it g
er to the plantation at $3.50 an acre. = =
ost of the land we bought at 800,
10, some at $125. All OF the work !,
the organization of the plantation .
Is done without charge by the franz :
s, so that, as matter of fact, the :! =
crease was comparatively small and :,
e interest On their money as a mat :. =,
: of fact amounted to about three -
nes the amount they took for pro- l.
,ting it. -
Fisher: Then l understand it to be
s-that the land you purchased was -
out one million and a quarter. Did =
u have land beside this that you a