Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-10
Federal and State Agent Looks
Into Colonization Plan and
DiscreditS It
Special snr-Bulletip CorrespOndenee)

e. tSpeelal StAr-BullefiN Correspondence
WAILUKU, Maui, June Sin spite
of the fact that the Portuguese consul
in San Francisco had apparently in,
dorsed the proposition Sdefinite infer.
nation is now at hand wh:ch shows
that TIE scheme OF o. 4. Steven TO in
duce Portuguese OF the i;iands to i'm.
migrate To Ga.ifGlEta+ was even worse
than Was suspected here. Il will be
remen bsred that Steven toured the
islands some s.S months or more ago
and, HacSed by ffamboyant adyertis,
ing, e, Gated tonsidtrAble interest
amcns the Portuguese residents in his
colonization .plan. Ten-acre tracts Of
land near Rotterdam and Amsterdam,
California. we're offered by Steven at
$l25 per acre. The land was supposed
to be good for general garden farm
ing. On the strength of his repre-
sentat,ens 1t is understood that be-
tween 30 and 40 Maui Portuguese paid
Steven from $25 20 $50 on the price @:
the land How many from other
PARTS Of the territory were also taken
in is not known.
As the result of an editorial in the
Maui News expressing doubt concern.
ing the wisdom OF residents of Hawaii
seeking to benefit themselves as farm
ers in California, even under most ia
yorabie conditions, the California state
commission of immigration and hous-
ing started an investigation the re-
suits Of which thoroughly discredit
Stevens scheme Tie following, from
a letter of the executive officer of the
commission. shows what he thinks OF
the matter: ~ E
I'VE had a soil expert. VINO is an
agent OF the University of California
division of agricultural extension, and
of the United States department of
agriculture, make survey OF the land
to which Mr. o. 4. Steven is bringing
Portuguese settlers from the Hawaiian
islands. We understand that quite 8
number of Portuguese families have
already been brought to this country
by Mr.. Steven snd settied upon this
land. You will note fliat the report
of this expert Is anything but encour-
aging. You will note that the agent
OF the land company himself explains
that It is not the. intention that these
people should makes ,liVing. en- the
land. Quite obFiohsly, aths intention
is to import later hos be hsed in the
several projects refefretE to in Mr.,
iBryants letter. We have a letter
from tne agent o. the 40 nd company to
the same effe1A Although me claims
that the land 81 sucK That the people
could make success upon it from an
agricultural point OF View n However,
his stassms lf4 ise 70 y athes don.
With regard to Statements Which
have been made by other Portuguese.
and which have been published in, the
Hawaiian Islands by Mr. Steven, to-
the effect that they have been very
successful in farming in. this region,
we would state that these statements
refer toSland lot very far distant near
the town of AeWater. There seems to
be a letter streak 1of land through
there lad many Portuguese have been
very successful =
We are furnishing you with this
Information SO that yoa may be able to
give accurate reports to; any persons
making Inquiries or to do whatever
you can to prevent these people from
being deluded into the belief that they
are coming to wonderful agricul
turaI colony H. a>--s=
Very truly yours. III. .s.-
(Signed) GEORGE l.. BELL, IA
Attorney AMI Executive Officer. -.
The expert report is made by V. C..
Bryant. 1t says in part. .s... 7
Locking at this matter purely from
an agricultural point of view this land
is not worth this money. He gives
details to prove this contention and
adds: ls ,s..I
In talking this matter over with
Mr., I>age. local general manager of
the CrCeker-H0ffman land Company,
be eyplstas II by saying that they are
not selling these people this land with
the idea thai, t.ey make living from
the land, but they-are simply selling
it TO them as a homestead and at the
same time so t5at the women and
children viii he able to raise a little
garden material and cut, down living
somewhat" zu.s 49,. T.
Maui Representative Back. ....
About Is Portuguese of Puunene,
who have maid Steven the first pay
ment CT s25,sand in some instances a
second s25 on the land, took the ad.
vice OF the Portuguese Wce-consul for
Maui, Enos Vincent, and engaged a
representative in California to look
at the land. This representative,
whose name is Soldado dos Santos. |
arrived in Maui about week ago and
his report is said to be in entire ac-
cord with the lopinien of the California
EXPERT. except that it is more denun-
ciatory. 1t win be impossible. he de-
clares, for Portuguese family from
Hawaii to make a. living on the 10
acres of land which it would receive.
Want Their Money Back
An effort NAV be made to recover