The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-02-18

| ~ know. IT, he replied, because
when WINS IN the Legislature, knowing
that Metzger 3 lease was about to ex.
pire, and wanting IL as a county quarry,
I went 10 Land Commissioner Tucker
nnd told him what ] wanted.
Keeps His Hands on .,t
/ Quicker said; Now you keep vour
hands of of that quarry; Metzger wa It's
that and the Governor 10 going to give
L to him. 8t II
80 / kept my hands of, and the
deal was concluded between Metzger,
the Governor and Land Commissioner
Tucker that the government would ex-
tend the Waiakea settlement over to
include a part Of the land covered by
Metzger's quarry lease; that Mctzger
would release this to the government
for homestead purposes and the gov
eminent would thereupon. in exchange,
give him fee simple title to fifteen
acres.
"knd this deal was carried out
"The pc. ton Of land that was taken
from the Metzger quarry lease, to make
homestcads of was not needed for that
purpose. There is no soil there and no.
body will take IL for ho1nesteadinQ.
The land that Is wanted for homestead
ing PURPOSES is over BY the river, near
ly half a mile distant.
Il knew that the Metzger land was
not needed for hoBuesteads but what
could dot 1880 *
Land Commissionr Tucker wanted
me TO keep my hands of and I did
so; but the legislature having granted
an appropriation for this road, | am
going TO use my best endeavours TO
have the road built where it will Opvn
the land that people want and not
down to the lots that have been sur
veyed on Metzger's quarry which no
body wapts.t u. = l.s.
And there you lSrel
In other words, representative Ly.
man makes the deliberate charge that
for the purpose OF, giving Senator Metz
ger the fee simple title to tract of
land which is yielding in an income of
approximately 100000 per annum the
senator, the Governor and the land com
miss. oner put up deal by which the
Governor took surrender from Metz
ger of q lease which expires in June,
1918, on piece Of land so rocky that
it is entirely unfit for homestead pur-
poses, in exchange for fee simple of
the fifteen acres which Metzger want,
ed; and at the same time faiftd TO cut
up for homestead purposes the land
which was actually fit for and wanted
for the purpose which the Waiakea
Mill Co, had released for that purpose.
There has moreover, been a strange
secrecy afout this whole business. Mr..
Hobby, the government engineer, says
he knows nothing about it.
The foregoing statements were pre-
scented at a meeting Of the board of
trade at which twenty-five members
were present. The board has eontin-
uOusly backed the homestead settle
ment proposition but not a member
present had ever heard of the Metzger
deal. l.... .....
The Hilo Trust Company is Mr.. Metz
gers local representative. Its acting
manager, Mr.. Patterson, in the absence
of the manager, Mr.. Mariner, stated
that the Trust Company did not have
Metzger : title deeds to the land in
question and kew nothing about il
gntil two weeks ago when l. received
a letter from, Mr.. Metzger saying that
lie owned the quarry site and did not
wish to dispose OF it,
p So far IA h. been ascertained no
one except the Hon. Norman Lyman in
Hilo knew. or knows anything about
This Metzger quarry deal 49,,
Under the best Of circumstances it
is a matter which needs prompt in
vestigation. and disavowal if the state
ments made by Mr.. Lyman are denied
The IIilo Chamber of Commerce, b,
a unanimous vote, has directed that
committee be appointed to investigate
the. charges made by Mr.. Lyman.