The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-01-27
4 PROMISING
. Homestead PLAN
Sons Of Settlers who Have Made
Good Now Want Fruit Lands
Of Their Own.


the establishment Of an entirely new
branch Of Island agriculture, is now
before Land Commissioner Tucker.
Those interested thcrein are a number
Of homestcadcrs and their children
from waipunalei, near LanpahoehOe
They propose to take up lanes above
the forest line above Ookala, and 70
raise fruits and berries such as arr
raised In the temperate zone.
The leader in this movement is
farmer, named A. w. wilbers. He was
at one time employed on the Humuula
Sheep Station, and in that manner he
became thoroughly acquainted with
the lands, which he is now seeking u
develop y
At the point called Keanakolu,
substitution maintained by the ranch.
there Is an orchard which was planted
many years ago. II is only about -four
acres in extent, but the fruits there
from are famous, though relatively few
persons have had an opportunity 70
taste them.
Eve HAD NO Better.
Among those who have is Attornc,
General Thayer. ''You have no idea Of
what splendid country there is in the
Keanakolu region, /" he said last week.
Z" i passed the orchard there some years
ago. We filed our pockets With az
pies, and while ] do not claim 10 be
an expert judge, can say that have
never tasted better apples anywhere
Throughout the region, which is above
the forest line proper and protected
thereby are giades of grass stretching
for miles on end The grass is real
Kentucky blue grass, which was plant.
ed there many years ago. The region
should be an ideal one for farmers, and
there is plenty Of fine land available
in that neighborhood. 1t is now be.
ing used as pasture, but ] believe il
will make fine agricultural Iand.o
The matter of cultivating this re.
gion came up for the first time q while
ago, when Wilbers, who has always
been much impressed with the neglect.
ed opportunities presented by Keana.
kolu, or Humuula, ns the name Of the
region is, made inquiry for the purpos.
Of securing homestead there.
Owing TO the expense which il would
involve to have a survey made, il was
thought impracticable to incur II for
the sake Of a single homcsteader. viii
beers WIS told so, and he then directed
his energies towards making converts
whom he could lead TO his promised
land. j i1 ~
Real Homestcaders.
The waipunaiei' section, where vii.
bers lives, furnishes the finest possible
kind of material for such a scheme as
that fathered by Wilbers. The home
steaders there took up government hand
IN about 1890, dnd although the free
and easy land laws Of these days made
It easy for them 20 do the Stake home.
steader act to the fullest extent they
had no desire Of the kind. They stay.
ed on their land, cultivated n. raised
their families thereon, and proved one
OF the finest homestead settlements on
II is these people, though mainly
their children, who want to repeat the
experience. The original settlers have
now adult children, who wish TO TAX,
up lands on their own hook, and most
OF the applicants are young men and
women who look towards the Keana.
kolu opening as great opportunity
The applicants want to be given
eighty acres each. the largest area Al.
lowed by law. They point ont. how
ever, that they are asking for no cane
land, and hope to be given a reason.
abie purchase figure. On the other
rand, they show their absolute bona
ndes by the readiness to take nm -tbe
Iand under any residence or reasonable
cultivation conditions which Abe GOV
eminent may impose
Await Pinkham Rules.
Among the applicants there are
twelVe or so who form the nucleus
lhese people are particularly trusted nv
Wiipers as people who will STAY 10.
gether, and rs they are conRenial 70
one another, and as they propose to co.
operate with one another TO some cx
tent, they hope to he able 10 form \
settlement association by which meqrs
they can acquire ad ioining lots. While
the Frear administration tool, n de.
'ided stand against settlement associa.
lions, allowing none, the question win
pe parsed up to Governor Pinkham, and
ms decision thereon will be Of partiou.
ar interest, as II is known that the
Governor has decided views in the line
q improveInents in the administrator
of-nuhlss, landss and this,point nav fur.
nsh an important Indication of what
'an be expected from the new admin.
stration on the land policy question.
win Build own school.
The intending honesteade,s have also
asked that a lot DO set aside for school
purposes. They write that they do not
expect 70 have the government provide
school for them immediately, 50 IL
school lot is set aside they will erect
he school building thereon themselves.
rhey also expect TO engage the school
seacher at their own expense until such
time when their colony has developed
10 such point that the government will
DO justified in providing teacher.
the settlers state that in
case there is any difficulty about get!
ting a survey Of the tract made on
account of a scarcity of government
surveyors, they are willing to employ
Engineer Barringer to do the work at
heir own expense.
The letters 10 the land office authori.
Hes from the apnlicants sot Aorth that