The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-07-07
LAND SETTLEMENT PROBLEM
AS APPLIED TO HAWAII is
EXPLAINED TO CHAMBER
Careful Investigation and Experimenting Desirable Before
More Lands Opened Too Large Tracts Greatest Menace
To Success in Agriculture

Size of homesteads should be in
proportion to the capital and executive
ability possessed by the homosteader.
The lottery method of distributing
lands is unworlable and inderensible.
The Hawaiian Homes Law should be
amended 10 leave the size Of tracts
to the commission and the commission
should select the hOmesteaders ac-
cording to ability to make good and
20 acres should be maximum rather
than minimum. Before any of the
Hawaiian Homes lands on Maui be
distributed there should be a series
of Investigations and experiments con
Quoted, preferably by the University
of Hawaii to determine what crops
can be successfully raised, markets
and other subjects of vital importance
to the settlers. These are some of the
outstanding POINTS that were made by
DR.. Elwood Mead to members of the
Maui Chamber of Commerce at a
special meeting of that body held in
the Commercial Building on the Fair
Grounds Monday afternoon.
There were a score OF interested
listeners to DR.. Mead, the Make Hap
py" activities and preparations in
business for the Fourth of July holi-
day reducing the attendance noticably
but those who were fortunate enough
to hear DR.. Mead carried away with
them some concrete ideas on land set
tlement and what should be the poll
cies in Hawaii.
Executive Secretary George p
Cooke introduced DR.. Mead after the
meeting had been called to order by
j. j. Walsh, weep president of the
chamber. Mr. Cooke'tOld of DR.. Mead's
work and investigation of the subject
on which he is an expert, in Australia
and in California and his connection
with the University of California as
head of the department of land settle
ment and heading the California Com
mission.
| Constructive in Criticism
| DR.. Mead spoke seated, his talk be
: ing the more interesting from his in
formality. He said that in the United
States millions had been spent on irri
cation but the problems of the settler
had been ignored and that the result
had been many early failures in most
of the projects. At length there had
/ been two Investigations, one by the
federal gvernment and another by the
State OF California The latter had
accomplished the most and later Utah
had done some investigatory work OF
importance. The defamation com
! mission and its members had and does
= recognize the shortcomings of the
, federal methods of land settlement.
In investigation, it might seem
= peculiar but the investigators were
, sent away about as far as could be
to the AntipOdes, for in Australia the
subject had been taken up systemati
: cally and scientifically. The speaker
, then told of observations in Australia
In the Antipodes it was found that
, settlers would generally have to be
: looked for in the home country anC
Europe for the Australians were no.
. attracted to the project
= Ideal is Visualized
/. DR.. Mead said the ideal rural com
+ munity should be composed of from
v 100 to 200 families, not many less
3 than the minimum he mentioned ant
e that if more than 200 it required larg
er executive and office forces. tn,
problem was to get the settlers on tn,
land so they would be successful fl
nancially and be satisfied socially.
AS to the amount OF capital require
r in Australia it was found in Australii
5 that about $50 pounds was necessary
it was required before allotting lam
that the settler should have %
q, pounds and the government made u
:, the difference up to 500 pounds o.
= long time loans. In California tn
=, commission found costs were highe
. so the amount of capital demande
! was placed at s2500 and the stat
, would loan up to $4,000 additional.
% At some length Dr. Mead went int
a the establishment of two rural con
~ munities in California both of whic
a went in for dairying and selected He
u stein cattle. He told Of some of tn
difficulties encountered there and c
4 the working out of the project so tha
10 both are model communities. typ
# of houses and the use OF ready CT
. houses was touched upon. TheI
were few failures and those anon
II the persons who took more land tina
n they were able to handle prOperl
" One man grew impatient and bougl
,s cows for himself instead OF throug
Is the buying" committee with the 4
70 suit that he lost the greater part {
is tubercular though the cOmmunit
O. shared his loss with him. Tubercul;
n cattle were barred from the Cummu
ity.
Settlement in Hawaii
As TO the Hawaiian Homes ProjeC
DR.. Mead said it was destined TO ha'
a greater and wider influence than
or generally realized Coming to h
he Maui visit the speaker said that OWL
10 to the competent guides he had, me
~ tioning Senator Rice f. G. Krauss,
he B. Penhallow, J. II. Foss, Albert Hon
ed er and others, he had been able
lie get a better understanding of agric
he tural conditions in three days than
ill could otherwise have done in thT
it months. II was at that point he ;
zip vised experimentation before openi
ed up Maui lands for settlement. Su
lands are in the vicinity of Kula Sa