The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-05-21
BILL BY Single
MAYBE SOLUTION
OF LANDPROBLEM
Safeguards Interests Of Planta-
tons and Homesteaders, Says
Senator In Introducing II

OdIGYudlu 10 uitCl Colo W fEidHld
tons and Homesteaders, Says
Senator In Introducing II
What may prove to be the solution
of one of the most vexed phases of
Hawaii's much complicated land pro.
blem is contained in bill introduced
in the senate Of the territorial legis.
laturc yesterday by Robert W. Single
It is the contention Of the intro
Queer that the proposal contained in
his measure is fair both to the sugar
interests and to the homesteaders; that
without depriving che latter Of any Of
their rights il win enable the planta-
tions to continue the cultivation of
cane on lands the leases of which have
expired or are expiring, and will en-
able Hawaii to keep up its sugar pro-
luctiOn. go. ~,
The binadoes not contemplate the
radical change in the Organic Act for
which the Governor so pathetically
pleads, the elimination of the Given
" five persons" clause. II is intro
duced as war measure, merely, Sen.
atOr Single says, TO prevent Hawaii g
sugar output from slumping during
the period that must elapse before the
whole land problem can be satisfac
torily settled.
Problem Is Grave One
Because Of the fact that the Gov
ernOr, whose term of office is now at
an end, has for so long obstructed any
reasonable settlement of the land pro
bem, stubbornly fighting for his pei
scheme of getting complete control of
all public lands into his own hands
and those Of his land commissioner,
the public land question has suddenly
become n grave one. Plantations re-
fuse TO cultivate cane on lease-expir'
ng lands, not knowing whether or not
they will ever reap the harvest, while
bomesteaders have been consistently
discouraged by the administration,
which has openly announced its oppo
sition to homesteading.
Shingles bill is believed by some
who have examined il to be at least
a temporary solution of the problem.
This proposed legislation particularly
affects at this time the Waiakea lands
and government lands at Makee plan
,ation, Kauai, known as the Wailua
lands. It is estimated that there are
1000 acres of land at Waiakea, capa-
BILE of producing 10000 tons Of sugar,
and 1900 acres of land at Makee plan
tation, capable of producing 1900 tons
of sugar, which will be affected by the
provisions of the bill.
When introducing the bill, which
passed reading by title yesterday in
he senate, Senator Single made a few
Introductory remarks bearing on the
vital points of the measure and said
that the various provisions in the bill
we're inserted after much careful study
and consultation with governmental
department heads, men interested in
he fostering of the sugar industry here
and those who believed in the Ameri.
ANIMATION of the Territory through
liberal homestead laws He believed,
,c said that this measure would settle,
for the time at least, the much dis
cussed and vexed land question of the
Territory.
Immediate Action Needed
Senator Single said that immediate
action must be taken in this land meas
re to insure a sufficient supply OF SUI
ar. which is more than ever in great
leed at the present. To wait for any
rction from tho federal government TO
make land laws which would be re-
ief qto the present situation, would
mean the delay of several months,
which would result in the loss of con-
siderable young growing cane and have
large acreage lying idle which could
5e made richly productive.
"Why should we use one lump OF
sugar in our coffee, where we used two
| before, in trying to conserve sugar,
| while we have this opportunity to pro
| luce thousands of tons of sugar by
his means of legislatiOn,' he said in
| summing up a general way his reason
for advocating this important measure
Pacheco Kanalua
Senator Pachrco gave evidence OF
| being a bit doubtful as to the equity
! IF the bill as far as the homesteaderi
| were concerned. After the session
| however, he admitted that he had moi
| given the bin any study but from wha'
| he had been told and from a hurried
| reading of the measure was of the
| opinion that the measure was goo(
| one.
GAS long as this bill is a good onC
for the bona fide home steader and viii
encourage the AUGMENTATION of thi
Territory, | am for it," he said.
The text Of the bill follows:
"An act to provide for the cultiva
ton Of certain leased government lands
after the leases thereon shall have ex
pired. Be it enacted by the Legislature
j of the Territory of Hawaii: