Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 361, 6 January 1892 — Correspondence. [ARTICLE]

Correspondence.

We du not hoki ourM*lve6 respontiiible • Jiny statement« or opinioo* made and . pr«i#ed by tx>rre«p«n<Jent>. Me. platiorm of tau Hui Hawaii Libera!a, you ad« T'->catti Bmall farming and home«te:ids, and as you fnem to realize Ihe fact that emall farzning ip eon- ? icive to tbe proeperitv of theSUte Nation, in whieh I pemmalty •ifcree with yoit and a large maiority of tbe community, therefore, I **>uld like. through the medium of your pafet, to make aome suggeations. whieh I think (if not tao laie) • , 'Ud in a grcat meaBurehelp tocar-! ry out you plan Basceasfuliy. 1 believe, first. Uking up the :iureton admin ; «tration ? und from up to the prwnt timc, that tt*re hae been lnwi laid out in «inall IoU foi farming; that therc ,tr-' availahle only to tho<ie not ali' ady Uie ownen of land ; al«>, thnt c aid lots ara ¥old Rt ttuir fuU m<xrk*t i <due t payable by inalalmeaU, and »n certaio conditions of tenure aod occupancy for a number of yßan>, for the fulfillment of whieh the tiolder will then recoivc * ruv«l paWnt for said homcstcad. Now, Mr. Kditor. I objeci to the • *ondition mide by the poveriuucnt. ! n the ftret plaee there are a grent! mHny Portugtiese wh«>; huvc h jrked the ugrtvd tum; on 1 pl;inUtu>i« , »4 »*i lt«Ve JsU '• « \4 ;• . hundred dnlls-« eaeh,by rarefu3 m»- j i.oni) in living, and a habit ofp%v- j ug, looking to better lheuisclvei) in-| '-h* vutui«. Now, Uie b*mpting i»(īi*r j otir paUmal governm**rit, if>gueh,' that Ukeafewonly udvanU£e of the i ori*er and buy a lot. U Ukes most

j ut lheir !rard earncd »RvingB to tlo 1 ihiH-.'i.'ui to i arry <>ut Kucc««»tullv >IHM on«li;i')ns ;itt!uhod to eaoh lot t aml th<*v ]ijtv<* <*itlī« r togoin dt l»t,or <Mntinm'to _ work as gcrv:in=tf» f<>r tlu- Mm,ir b;trons. I'ln' oa|>italipt wili U> only too glad to lo»d th«in ' U) irn|>rov« antl ]>larit thelr : h«»me.-<te;ids. with coftee or fruit, or I wlidtever is niost *uitable t® the f Ki'Um ot eountry, khowing that he. I has ri B.ifo inve«tment for his eapi- ! tal. The said capital will be inj vest<»(l iu liehalf of the sugar hai rons oi- mono])o!ist. It puts a elass | of «aiall fannerB in the hands of the planters, aiul they will have to :»me to the planter6 /terms, or as t «ure as fate the home«toad« will fall into the hands of monopolist, and that there hard v.arned savings whieh they inve«ted in the pur* ehase will be lost. On the other hand if our gOTernment was desif* oua of helping small industries. j Let them divide what lands they control into homesieads, the &na of said land to be regulated by the nsture of the cropa they are adapted to } a marked Talue of the land in mn Unimproved oooditi<m taken, an4 the» to p;ive a lease for two years to any one applying for it, at a rental for the first five yearB ol one per cent. of the unisE)proved value.of the land and for the bglanee of the period at flve to six per cent. of the unimvroved value. The coodition should be:, first, ihey must wiihin three months from the obiaining of said lease Uke poāßocsion, and bogin t« build, &nos and plants, and permanently rtMt ontheirloU. The lessee may «eli his leaae at any lime to any one who will reside on the land } and agree to all Uie terms and eonditions aa first made between the onginal lessee and the government; ! and in case of a temporary absence from the eountry, he shoold olaee a substitute on the land to hold it in bis name during his absence. The advaatago of jriving the land on this pystem, in preference to that now in vogue, ix that the money, in the present innlanoe, is swallowed up in the purchase of a nominal wwnership and in tbo itnprov<* roent of the land, and «j so<m ,as th&t is dono, theowner will be ot4y too happy to 86nd Booae of his m>ns, *nd to go himself to work on tbe plantat ion aud at other industites, at daily wagc9 t aml if the planter or other , e«nployer, were not ao grasping, they would be thc tirst te see the benefits ofgi vin« hoo)esteads to amall farmers: ihere wmild always be a thrilty and intelligent farm laborere in the oountry, remly and wi)llng to labor for the larger agrieultural indus-; tries in tkeir vicinity, if onee the? beeome perroanent homesteaderß: the planter would be far more it»depend<>nt tban they arē now with their shipped AMatic3, and l>e without fear of being boycottcd bv a lot of t»elestial highbinder» — Whieh they certainlv wi!l if they arc to l*\ depctidcnt up<m that clas»« for lahorers. \\'ithin the last few years» there havc b»*en h mdredh of Portuguese familiee who have left the eountry, and everv one of them tnking tbere! ... »v ; y. \hji i, t..v* would hnve h#*!}wd to l*uild up iiieei honie and it thrifty j«)pulntion, weli adu|>U il t<» our t*>unt ry atid cliroate. Tii«er poopie nv\:*r wouhl have left th«? e«'uutry if thev could h.ive v»blain«xl Tliev would be hcrc »:i ilawaii uei to day, thv tna-

jority ot tb«ai wilh lurgc faniilie« of Hawaiiau born ohi]drcn. settled |as 1 farniers, if oncourageu»ent | liail l)0€»n giveu them. They Wwtild a)wave bc largc pr(x]ucprfl a& w»*ll a« conuunicrs, and in this man»er would not onlj' to enrich the eoiintry and lielp t>upport thc govermnent f but woul»! in th« coi;ri?e of twentv or thirty yeara gave us the expense, troub!e, und stigma of itnporting Apiatic and maintaining a semi-slaverv svf4teui of'!abor in tbe eotmtry.