The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-06-17
.HAWAIIANS RETURN
TO LAND TO SAVE
THEIR DYING RACE
Farms Being Opened Up
In Lower Regions of
MOlOkai.

SAN FRANCISCO. June ia mi
grafton to save the dying Polyne-
sian race will get under way in
Hawaii early this month.
Twenty-four Hawaiian families
will leave Honolulu for the lower
lands of Molokai. once called the
! lonely isle" where farms are be-
ing opened up under the direction
Of the Hawaiian homes commission.
created and financed by an act Of
the United States Congress.
The twenty-four are but the van
guard of native Hawaiian people
who will leave the easy-Eoing ways
of the cities. where their race, over
susceptible to the dangerous ways
of modern civilization. is dying out.
and attempt IN almost dead Polyne-
sian art Of individual filling of the
soil. In centuries gone by. before
the vices of the white men almost
wiped the Polynesian race out Of
the South Seas. the natives were
highly skilled in agriculture.
Since the advent of civilization In
the islands. however. most of the
natives drifted to the cities. and
wear by year the native population
in the islands has dwindled until
now IL is estimated that there are
only % coo left. whereas fifty years
ago the native population was esti-
mated at 100000.
More than seventv-hve families
! have applied for lands to the Ha-
waiian homes commission. All will
be taken care of in time. but only
twenty-four can he sent to the Ka-
lamaula tract. as Il is known. on
srt r.-hf1a he
same island. is totally isolated from
the rock bound -Molokai leper set
Element
Tho Kalamaula tract is but one
of MANY which before long will he
available The LANDS which now be-
long to the United States govern
ment were formerly the property
of the Hawaiian crown. passing to
the United States with the death Of
the last Hawaiian ruler. Queen
| Liliuokalani
/ Much ~ the land has recently been
reclaimed through the scientific tao
nin- ~ an almost forrotten sprinc
This s~rinc is now Welding nearlv
.onn ONn gallons Of water a dav.
which IS eurc'ent 70 irri~ate the en-
! tire EaI"maula tract. The water will
be ni,ed unto Homestead lots.
Under the Hawaiian homes act. a
native nav lease up N eighty acres
Of IRRIGATED land. ard un 10 l 600
acres of pasture land. To protect
tho Hawaiians AGAINST unscrunulous
adventures or companies. and also
against their own easv-eoinr WAYS
the government will not permit a ma
/ tive to sell his land even after he
has title to it,
None of the Hawaiians who have
thus far applied for lands are poor
All are in medium circumstances. and
range from native teachers and agri-
culture school students. TO native
ranch foremen and small land rent
/ ers. Under the act. a native is de-
| fined as one having at least half ma
| tive blood. Many hslf-breeds. who
present mixture of Polynesian and
Oriental. Filipino. American. frglish
or Portuguese. will be eligible.
The Hawaiian Homes Commission
| will lease or sell the land to the
natives, preferably select. and will
loan not more than $4,000 for the
| purchase of stock and equipment and
the building Of homes This will be
done under TIE direction of the CON-
mission. which has 1000. 600 at its
disposal Schools and community
centers will be established. and sew
eraI government specialists will give
the natives agricultural advice.