The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-10-10

healthy, happy families and become
home-owners, new blood would be
gradually infused into the race and 1t
would thrive as it did in the days
when it was in its prime, these Ha-
waiian leaders felt.
What later became known as the
Hawaiian Homes Bill had its incep-
ton in the Territorial Legislature,
and emerged in the form of a con-
current resolution which Congress
was requested to enact as a federal
statute and as an amendment to the
Organic Act. Two territorial legis-
lative commissions went to Washing
ton, ID. c., to urge the passage of the
measure, and they, aided by the untir-
ing cooperation of the late Delegate,
succeeded in obtaining favorable ac-
ton. Passage of the bill by both
houses of Congress and its subsequent
signing by President Warren G. Hadd-
ing, who has at all times been a warm
and sincere friend of Hawaii and of
the Hawaiian people. made it law,
and created the Hawaiian Homes
Commission, whose duty it would be
to undertake the rehabilitation of the
Hawaiian people along the lines laid
down in the message.
Commission Is Named
In the summer of 1921, shortly after
his Inauguration, Governor Wallace
r. Harrington, who, by virtue of the
bill, became chairman of the body, APP
pointed the following persons as mem
bers of the original Hawaiian Homes
Commission:
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole,
delegate to Congress.
Mr.. George 2. Cooke, Molokai
rancher and farm and dairy owner.
The Rev. Akaiko Akana, minister
of Kawaiahao church.
Mr.. Rudolph M. Duncan, superinten-
dent of construction of the Honolulu
Rapid Transit & Land Co.
Mr.. Cooke was selected executive
secretary of the commission, and
opened offices in the Senate chamber,
capitol, at Honolulu. Senator John H.
Wise was selected as publicity repre-
sentative, his efforts being devoted
largely to publicity of the work of the
commission through the columns of
The Kuokoa, the Hawaiian newspaper
published at Honolulu.
Prince kuhio Dies
The death on January 7, 1922, of
Prince Kalanianaole left a can on
the commission, and his widow, the
Princess Elizabeth K~alanianaole, was
requested by the Governor to fill the
vacancy. The Princess accepted the
appointment and has proved to be a
most valuable commissioner not only
because of her broad knowledge of the
needs of the Hawaiian people, but be-
cause of the keen interest she has
always taken in her beloved husbands
plans for the welfare and, eventually,
the rehabilitation of his people.
Immediately Upon his appointment
as executive secretary, Mr.. Cooke be-
gan the organization of a staff of ex-
perts in order that no time might be
lost in getting the rehabilitation pro-
ject under way. Mr.. Thornton Ly-
man, at that time with the Pioneer
Mill Co., on Maui, vas selected as
agricultural expert for the commits
sion, and Mr.. Jorgen ~Jorgensen, c. E.,
irrigation expert, was selected as en-
gineer. These two men at once be-
gan work on the island of Molokai,
where large tracts of land were avail
able for settlement under the rehabi-
litation project.
Funds Available
Upon the passage of the Hawaiian
Homes Act, money derived from ter.
ritorial land leases and water licenses
became available for use by the
Homes Commission, with the result
that ample funds were at hand with
which to begin the preliminary work.
The Homes Commission began hold.
ing weekly meetings in the office OF
the chairman, Governor Harrington,
and it was not long before definite
plans for rehabilitation were well I'm.
der way, and working with a smooth.
ness which spelled success from the
very beginning.
One of the first steps taken by the
commission was a visit to the island
of Molokai in November, 1921, for the
purpose of inspecting the available
lands there. AS the law provides that
the Molokai lands must be opened
hrst, naturally the attention of the
commission was centered upon these
tracts. The commission took with ii
to Molokai a number of local agricul
tural experts, including the following:
Mr.. Albert Horner, territorial sugar
expert; Mr.. Frederick G. Krauss,
member of the faculty of the Univer-
sity of Hawaii; Mr.. Willis T. Pope
of the United States experiment sta.
ton, Honolulu; Mr.. Ralph Borden of
the faculty of the Kamehameha
schools, expert in animal husbandry;
Mr.. Jared G.. Smith, expert on crops.
All of the available lands, both the
uplands and the lowlands, on the is.
land, were visited. Some of the ex,
perts favored a project that would
be exclusively dryland farming, but
the majority felt that development of
water for irrigation purposes would
be necessary, and that nothing should
be done until an adequate amount of
water for irrigation and domestic pur.
poses was assured. At a four-hour
conference at the mountain home OF
Secretary Cooke, the views of all of
the experts, as well as those of the
commissioners, were obtained, and
later on written reports we're submit,
Continued on Page Six