The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-03-01
LEAVE PRODUCING
LANDS ALONE FOR
WAR, SAYS HORNER
Thinks Hon,esteading Clause of Or
ga'uc Act Should Be Suspended So
AsNot To Interfere With Nav
in1un1 Production of Food

That nothing whatever should be al
lowed to interfere with the maximum
effort of Hawaii to help win the war
by producing the greatest possible
amount of food products, and that for
the period Of the war the hYmesteading
clause Of the Organic Act should be
suspended, in whole or part, is the
opinion of Albert Horner. No lands
suitable for the production Of sugar
should be alienated from the sugar
growers for the time being, and no
land capable Of producing pineapples
should be withheld from those able and
willing to put it to use, he believes.
Mr. Horner has been for years one
Of the leading advocates in the Terri
tory of the demonstrating principle and
his views on the present necessity of
ceasing homesteading for the period Of
the war are Of decided interest.
Realizing the necessity for n max
imum food production, 1 was much i'm.
pressed with the resolution introduced
by Mr.. G. r. Carter at the last meet
ing Of the Defense Society looking to
the uninterruption Of the cultivation of
sugar cane on the lands Of Waiakea
and recommendation that action be TAX
en- TO maintain present output Of sugar
from these lands during the period Of
the war" said Mr.. Horner yesterday.
"The only objection to this resolu-
| tion is that it is not broad enough in
| that it confines the proposed activities
to the lands of Waialea while there
are many other plantations in the Ter
ritory upon which practically the same
| conditions exist, and would like to
see the Defense Society so extend their
resolution that these other places might
be included in the proposed activities.
Idle Kauai Tracts
con the Island of Kauai there are
alsO large tracts of land upon which
is now growing, or has been grown, su.
gar cane and on which the leases have
expired or viii expire soon, and unless
definite action is taken at once, these
lands win be nonproductive for the
next two or three years. refer only
| to lands formerly or now under lease
to Lihue, Hawaiian Sugar and Keka,
ha Plantations.
| "In normal times these lands could
and should be homesteaded under one
of the demonstrating laws, but, consid
ering the danger OF food shortage
which Is confronting US, would it not
more nearly meet the situation II these
lands were left under present control
rather than cut up. into small piece.
For settlers, whiah would mean q Loss
of considerable time in bringing them
back to the present producing basisf
"War is upon us, there is no time "a
waste. When conditions are again nor
NAL these lands could be opened fol
settlement, but at present nothing
should be done which would in any
way tend to Lessen sugar production
even temporarily.
On the Big Island
"On the Island Of Hawaii there is q
large tract of government land at Ka,
lopa, formerly cultivated by the Pau
hau plantation, hnt upon which the
lease expired about two years ago
since when most, If not all of this
tract, has been assigned 10 settlers, hui
from information I have, little or moth
ing has been done by these people on
these lands and that it will be some
wears, under conditions existing there
before they can possibly be brought
back to former producing basis.
al might also mention that the landl
of Waimapalo on the Island of Oahu