The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-11-13
THE ADVERTISERS SEMlwEEKLY
The Governor and the
Public Lands

i.
re- Y Go9sssroEfqisNe Territory Of Hawaii APP
a pears to be making aIdetermined and charac
lsrizte eort To enlist the aid Of the members OF
the visiting Congressional Party in his scheme to
override the win Of the people of Hawaii as to the
disposal Of the public lands, The success Of such
;1reirort would be nothing less than a public
calamity, +.la
The attempt that is being made by, the Governor
is deliberate houting Of the wishes OF the people.
s1tis cynical effort to defeat the action Of the
legislature, It is an attempt to strange home
sttadine and to place the entire public domain in
the hands Of the present head Of the territorial
government
Even were there a competent head to the ter
Iritonal government, it would be unwise to give
him such vasf-power, for Governors come and go
lbut the laws OF the United States are not so
Imutable
I The people Of the Territory, for their own pro-
ection should see TO it that the senators and rep
ircscntatiyes now sojourning with us have the
facts presented to them as they are.
T. They should see toiit that the members of the
Cungre ssonal party are made acquainted with the
Tact that what the Governor is trying to do is what
the people have expressly said they did not want
done that the men who are supporting the Cow
ernor in this scheme are those who for the sake OF
$
too eager to be fattered and who use his weak
lnesses to serve their own selfish ends.
THE national Legislators should be informed that
IL place the control Of the public lands of the Ter
story ia the hands Of the present Governor is to
turn them over to man who has more than once
announced thar demonstrating in Hawaii is fall
ire and who has done everything in his power to
/ make It aeiailure. e. .s.... -:
4 The scheme which the Governor is trying to
work is tolsecure the support OF, the members OF
the Congressional party for the bill he had intro
iduccd in Congress contrary to the action OF the
nagsiature.,Io amend the Organic Act so as to do
iaway withrthe so-caed twenty-five petitioners
clause under which, upon petition of twenty-five
ctizens AGRICULTURAL lands belonging to the Terri
TORY must be thrown open for demonstrating The
resolution to this effect, which the legislature re
fused to adopt further asked congress to place IN
\ the hands of the Governor and his land commits
sicner the disposal of all public lands. -
I The land commissioner, b. G. RiVenburgh, rep
\ rescntng OF course, the Governor, went to Wash
Lington recently and tried TO talk congress into
missing the bill. The Governor still hopes he may
.succced in his scheme to thwart the will OF the
people. .... ID
II the members Of the Congressional party keel
their eyes and ears open, as they undoubtedly will
thew will learn what would be the result OF the
adoption of policy such as that advocated by the
Governor With the present Governor in Office
1t would mean the death OF bona fde homestead
lung in Hawaii It would mean the gradual ac
emulation OF great landed Estates contrary Is
public policy. unamerican and undemocratic.s u
would place in the hands of man contemplation
eli the rights of the people vast power, powe
NJ Inch would Inevitably be welded, through him
NV those who have so often demonstrated tina
,hcy can control the Governor by fattering hin
,,I listening to his Quereous and childish com
Hnlpts and "reminiscences @
II IS unthinkable that the present Governo
SHOULD he reappointed but in the improbab,
lr, cnt of such calamity it is absolutely essentia
,tn tie people ofHawa keep in their own hand
,'troI Of the public domain. '&