The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-10-16

tney get the sum OF &lf,lbO. NOW
that Is remarkable showing for these
two parcels Of land, that during all
fine years they were held by the sugar
companies, were not considered az pro-
htable enough lands for them 70 cul'
tivate, $50 1850
Good Prices obtained IN VI.
pYoh win hear Il mid that the rea.
son for this good showing Is altogeth-
er owing to the high prices that have
ptevailed since the whr has been ON.
There is another reason that counts
for more than high prices, q reason
that WIN enable the hohiestehder to
weather 0 period Of low prices, and
that Is. the, fact that he has at least
been given a reasonably fair contract
for his cane, a contract that viii allow
him to survive OF 311s cent sugar, and
az the same time allow a handsome
profit to the manufacturer, and be-
lieye, that. as time goes on, those plan
tations that have a community Of
'homesteaders growing cane for them
are going 20 be the best of, and win
give even better contracts TO growers.
'aWlhat do these successful home.
steaders! mean TO this Territory, and
this eonntryi In the first place Il
gives homesteaders boost, SO much
40, in fact, that at the recent drawing
for lots at Kappa, already mentioned
as being held up, there were about 500
applications for some thirteen lots. In
the second place IL means more bust
meas for our merchants both here and In
Honolulu, and in time more revenue
for the Territury, and the county in
the way Of taxes, than would have
been derived under the old lease pro
position, In a thousand years Also IL
puts the quietus on those who hoped
TO kill demonstrating by stating that
homesteading was failure anyhow,
so why wnste any more government
land trying to make il a success.
Other Lands Considered ..&.
',Let us consider the Valance Of the
lands owned by the people, or the gov
eminent IL you prefer il that way, the
leases on which are now expiring, or
are about to expire within the next
years. The list of these is as fol
lows: @, a,.. ..,.-. Fft
\ 40 ,Wailua &. Uka lands leased TO
Thine Plantation Company, expiring
October j, lpl7. .HT 80
(2) HanRpepe lands leased TO Ha,
waiian Sugar Company, expiring De
,ember 81, 1917. 49,
(3) Kekaha lands leased to ".
Knudsen. expiring June /, 1920. 81
az Wailua Kai lands leased to
tihue Sugar Company, expiring July
|, 1921. ~, y IL, -, u. n 4 (, ~
Also there is small lease to the
Klauea Sugar Company which expired
IN 1912, that have not heard Of till
looked up these matters, but il has
aever been hoInesteaded, or we should
have heard about it, and il is safe to
presume that the sugar company is
taking care of it, under these circum-
'tances. These remaining government
lands are, probably, the most valuable
ane lands in the Territory, not only
On account of their productiveness
nut also on account of the very valui
sble water that. is attached to these
'ands, giving them supply, in each
Ease but one, unequalled in this Ter.
ritory. These lands are oil, or practical
y all lands that require irrigation,
md as that fact TO date seems to be O
great obstacle in the way of home
steading, let US consider the problem.
The, government or the people, which
means, you, and /. and every citizen
Of this country, owns the land, and in
all cases but one, the undisputed
water that Is used on these lands. These
lands are all at present under irriga-
ton, and 1t seems to me that all that
is required when the leases expire is
for the government to appoint q cap
lble and honest man to administer and
handle the proposition as a going cDn.
ern; of such men there are several
right here on this Island. The PROPOSE.
tion should be at once revenue pro
ducing one for. the Territory, and any
developing work required will on com
pletion, also be a profitable invest
ment, for the Territory, and therefore
there would be less argument required
20 raise the necessary funds for such,
than for some Of the projects that we
are being bonded for today, that will
never produce dollar in a million
years. The federal government sees
it to develop. water systems, where
none have existed, and we are eontin
,ally hearing of the success of these
rejects. Now why cannot the Terri
4oTy take hold and administer water
qotF"s 'nu| we ulTeduy developed,
and are in profitable operation. I for
one, and I know that there are a great
many others who agrees with me, do
not favor the idea Of turning the water
owned by the government. which water
Is the very life of the land il serves,
over to private interests to admins
Ter or develop, and hope the time
will never come when the people, to
whom belong these lands, will permit
them to pass out of government con.
troll, even under short leases.
Hanapepe Lands Considered
This brings us to the Hanapepc
lands and the proposed sale of the
right Of way across government lands
for a ditch etc, TO carry water from
privately owned lands, on the one side
of the government land, and across the
government land to privately owned
lands on the other side. Now gentle.
men the land in question is said by
some to have a right to the water IL
the stream adjoining it; on the other
hand It has been stated for years that
here is a question as to the boundar
les of the privately owned land thai
carries this wateS 1t being possible
that one branch of the stream is on
government land; also that ii is a