The Garden Island. [volume] (Lihue, Kauai, H.T.) 1902-current, 1913-03-11
LAND LAW QUESTION

1t is rumored that a petition is
being circulated among the citizens
OF the Waimea District, praying
that the land department allow but
twenty acres for each homesteadlr.
Nearly two hundred signatures are
SAID 10 have bten secured, which
II true, indicates one of two things,
VIZ: the signers of the petition have
not a full knowledge of what they
are doing, or else influence is be-
ing brought to bear from the OPP
position to homesteading AS the
proposed petition for a tract of not
less than so acres per homesteader
has not yet become a reality, it
would seem that the latter is the
case, the presumption being that
the opposition is desiring to get the
advantage by taking time bv the
! forelock.
1t has been remarked that if so
acres were given, there would notbe
enough land for all those who want
a home. This is a new argum ent,
and has 50 little evidence to sup
port it that it is as ridiculous as it
is new. The public does not have
to be told that in the past, govern
ment lots have gone begging for
! homesteaders, and for the opposi-
ton or anyone else to produce such
foolish argument, shows con-
clusively that they are most as
suredly hard up for a foundation
upon which to espouse their cause.
For arguments sake, we will say
that man is given twenty acres
of land. We will suppose that he
takes his turn the drawing,
which is matter we'll known. 1t
may occur that Eis twenty acres
will contain Sulches, etc., which as
a rule, are not very profitable. 1t
does not take much gulch land to
contain lie greater portion Of
twenty acres, SO the man who falls
heir to such an estate will have but
little left for agricultural purposes.
Again, he must rest the land once
in awhile, so by having such a
a small acreage, he would be forced
into poverty during the period
necessary to give the land t h e
needed rest. On the other hand,
with an 80 acre tract, the home
steader would be sure to get land
enough to allow of the cultivation
of part of the land at a time.
thus enabling him to keep a crop
of cane or pines constantly grow
ing.
y n d er these circumstances, it
seems almost incredible that any
bonifide homeseeker, a man who
intends TO make a future home and
a living out of a homestead, can
compromise good sense and even
ordinary Judgment with any such
an arrangement as is put up by
petition for small tracts. A small
farm would suffice, were the
owner make a sort of stopping
place" ou of it, but as it is
generally understood t h tn e
small farmer is the man who in
tends to make a home and live
there, and to ask for a handful of
dirt, when he knows good and
we'll that he cannot make good on
il, is helping just that much i'll
getting the land back into h
hands of corporations which are
mainly supported by the sucker
) class. Governor Frear has been
blamed tor the fool land laws which
are now in existence, but if the
homesteader puts himself in the
position of the little bird that spoilt
its own nest, any further considera-
ton in his behalf would be useless.
What we want, is change in the
present land laws which will bring
about results for the small farmer
and plantation interests alike. Since
their interests are along the same
line, it would not appear to be n
difficult matter for them to get to-
gether. 1t must not be taken for
granted that because we are in
favor of homesteading, that we are
necessarily opposed I o plantation
interests, On the contrary. Upon
the cone industry of the Territory,
rests the responsibility of financing
the affairs of the Islands, and 20
attack this enormous industry
which has made one of Uncle Sam S
possessions the wealthiest in the
world in an undue n d unfair
manner would show a lack of ap-
probation scarcely consistant with
common sense. There is room for
both plantation and small farmer.
-s.t.s.-
The new Japanese school at HUI
laia will dedicated next Sunday