The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-10-31
STOp HOuESTEADNG CANE LANDS

SIOf HONIESI E[lDiNN C-LNE -l-NDS
1t is Understood in a general way that the committee of the legs-
lature which, with the Governor, will go to Washington in January
will recommend to the Congress certain changes in the land laws OF
riaTI" ,md ps ""I' 'T T%e committee is is now holding weekly meetings
and presumably will have worked out something concrete before II
leaves. Also it is reasonable to suppose that these conclusions will be
Be that as it may, there is no doubt but that the conviction is grow
system Of handling the public lands is radically wrong; that homestead,
ing, except in few isolated instances, has been a dismal failure; and
that the territory is soon to be stripped OF what little good land 1t still
possesses unless something is done speedily.
The Haiku homesteads, at one time the most hopeful and promising
of all similar undertakings in the islands, today has scarcely half a
dozen of the original settlers living on the lands. And of this handful
perhaps but two or three families are making any pretense of working
their lots over to japanese to be cropped on shares, or have sold out
entirely. The community has changed in a few years from Amer-
can to an almost totally Oriental one.
The homesteaders are not to blame. There is no questioning the
bona fdes of practically every one They took up their totally I'M
developed land with enthusiasm and hope. They built good homes
The community life was exceptionally pleasant. But circumstances
over which they had no control made it impossible for most of them to
The labor situation played its part, and a significant thing to note
is that the few still remaining, on their places are the ones most largely
tmn 4 ian mGo oyer of 70 o I9p5 an mO to work or any o9 shares blrs. that Pm i is Is no very gr aty 10
y the only basis upon which labor may be secured,
One of the first experiments in homesteading developed cane lands
has just been gotten under way at aakea, Hawaii. And already we
hear the mill company demanding a l5-year lease for land for a Iaborers
camp, so that the homesteaders' lands will not suffer. The question at
steader?
The territory should cease homesteading cane lands at all. Other
kinds of agricultural lands should be made available to citizens who
really want homes, but even here the terms should be such that the
chance for speculation is largely cut out, This could perhaps only be
zone by retaining title to the land o a long period, or perhaps even by
a system of perpetual lease.
iS S"N bodo ONhSb ny lin tllIIDIH dS oN VI IT'S NHNl dSOS
today. Its producing more sugar now per acre under lease to the big
sugar companies than 1t could be expected to produce if farmed in small
areas by homesteaders. If there were any assurance that the home
stealing would really put American families permanently N the SOIL
this economic factor might not matter. There is no such assurance. To
the contrary every probability is that most of the land will ultimately be
in the control, if not the actual ownership of the plantations.
The only argument for homesteadng is to furnish homes to those
who have none. The present system thus far has failed to accomplish
this. If continued the only result will be that the territory will soon
own no more lands.
If the Congress could be persuaded to withdraw sugar lands en-
trey from homesteadmg, the territory might make effective use Of
them to insure homes for the homeless where at present there is no
such possibility. 1t could do this by making the leasing of sugar lands
conditional upon the turning loose of some of the vast areas of land
held by the corporations which have little to do with sugar production,
and which bring in no adequate return.
The territory today owns approximately 18 of the sugar lands
OF the islands. 1t is n position to be a very real factor in the local
sugar industry if it cares to be.
HaWarIs problem is to furnish citizens with homes. But this does
not mean that they should be given the choicest and most highly develop
cd lands OF the islands. Rather it should mean that the lands scatter
ed Tar and near that are idle or not adequately productive, should be
made available for the purpose. 1t should be made easy for a maj to
get a home. But it should not be easy for him use it as a speculation.
There is no call to hand over chunks of high-yieding cane lands to
any M who asks o r demands it, until there is assurance that it will
not be simply exploited. That assurance is impossible under present
conditions.
Nor is this any reflection whatever upon the homesteader. Cir
cunstances over which he has little or no control tend virtually to
separate him from the land. When this happens he has made a little
the territory holds the sack.