Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-26

within three miles of the City OF Homo
lulu, there is tract or over l0,0ot
acres, owned by Mr.. Damon. who oh
tanned Il as "a gift from one OF th'
members OF the Royal Hawaiian Fam
lily The laws of this Territory jus
tify the Territory in proceeding Il
take lands by eminent domain fol
homesteadS The power of the United
States under the laws of eminent do
main is unrestricted and certainly
I could not be exercised in more
worthy or holy cause than furnishing
/ citizens of the United States with
/ homesteads. have urged this view
upon you. but you ignored by letter
/ md You have made no recommends
lions to Congress. II the Rice tract
/ of 10000 acres and the Damon trac;
of 10000 acres, making $4,000 acres,
was divided into forty acre home
steads. 1850 needy Hawaiian families
] In this county alone could be supplied
4 with homesteads from their own
/ lands. 0ne-third OF the lands of this
! county belong to the Bishop Estate,
( which is placed in close corporation
/ for the ostensible purpose OF support
I ing college, but for the real purpose
Of taking care of the trustees and
hangers on, which ! understand have
the power Of choosing their success
sors. Now these lands of the Bishop
Estate constitute one-third of the
choicest lands of the county. Why
should not the government take these
lands under the law OF eminent do.
main and divide them up among &C
tual settlers? -..-.
II you would make such recon-
mendation to Congress, Mr.. Secretary,
it strikes me they would act upon ii
at once. ~.
To be as exact as possible, | will
say that the Bishop Estate lands in
this county amount to about $4,000
acres. Thus you see that we could
go far toward supplying all needy Ha.
waiians with home. out of their for
mer homes in the County of Oahu.
But aside from all questions Of con.
demnation, Is not the policy again de-
clared by the Governor but d few
days ago (see Advertiser, Dec. 20,
1910, in contravention OF the often
published views of the President, and
quote the Advertiser in full:
GOVERNOR DECLINES H.. 49,.
TO OPEN HOMESTEADS"
william J. Goethe of Maui is
in the city representing a num-
Der of Valley Island citizens who
want to secure homesteads on that
Island. Coelho was in conference
with Governor Pinkham yesterday
on the subject, but it is reported
that he could not make the chief
executive look at the question in
manner satisfactory to his clients.
Governor Pinkham was reported
to have said definitely that no
homestead land tract would be
opened until road or roads could
be built through the lands want
ed" -.
Your excellency has been instrument.
tai in placing in power here a Repub-
lican Government that is antagonistic
to democratic doctrines; and you have
tenaciously held on to keeping them
in power. / have in my hands pro-
tests of the Hawaiian Democracy di-
rected to the Speaker of the House
and the President of the Senate that
have held off some six or eight
months. These protests ask for an
Investigation by Congress of the mat
tiers herein referred to and other mat
tiers. My reason for withholding them
was that | confidently believed you
would take some action in the mat
ter, before the last election, but you
allowed the government that you in.
stalled here to defeat the Democratic
Party. II Mr.. Pinkham's nominations
for office shall be approved by the
Republican Senate that you have as
sisted in electing, 1t destroys the hope
of democracy in this Territory for
many years to come. / shall send
copy Of this letter to the President
and every cabinet officer hope that
some speedy action will be taken
without making the conditions in Ha-
waii a matter of general publicity.
However, If nothing can be done
through the Department of the Inter
ior, the only resort left us is to petit
ton Congress and ask for a public in
yestigation Do not construe this let
ter as being one of fault finding; but
rather as penned in all sincerity and
not aimed in any disrespect to you.
am,
Very respectfully
tSigned) T. B. STUART.
Judge Stuart Readily
Admits Writing Letter.
Commenting on his letter to Frank.
lin K. Lane. secretary of the interior.
Judge T. B. Stuart said today that he
believes the time is ripe for the pub
LEGATION of the communication.
Judge Stuart declined to discuss the
contents of the letter or to state any
action which he may take in the fu-
ture regarding certain recommends
tions he makes.
Il thoroughly believe all that the let
ter contains. and I may be foolish
enough to follow it through" he laugh.
ed.
Judge Stuart called attention to the
visit made to Honolulu a short time
ago by A. A. Jones, assistant secre-
tary of the interior. After an inves-
tigation. Mr.. Jones made the state
ment that he believed that certain
lands should he onpned nm for hama