Statement of laborers on Hawaiian sugar plantations, etc.-Continued.

Arrivals and departures of steerage passengers for the year ending June

30, 1920.

PUBLIC LANDS.

The following table shows the total area of Government lands and their estimated valuation as of June 30, 1920:

Public lands of the Territory of Hawaii as of June 30, 1920.

There were taken up during the year 168 homestead lots covering an area of 2,724,071 acres, at valuations aggregating $134,937.21, or $49.5 per acre on the average. The homesteads taken averaged 16.2 acres each. They were taken by different nationalities as follows: Hawaiians, 84; Portuguese, 40; Americans, 10; Chinese, 22; Japanese, 7; others, 5. To enable homesteaders to obtain homesteads of suitable sizes for their needs they are given the option of taking one or two, or in some cases more lots. There were taken under special homestead agreements 122 lots, under certificates of occupation, 12; under right-of-purchase leases, 13; under cash freehold agreements, 2; and homestead leases, 19.

During the year 247 homestead lots were surrendered or forfeited, covering an area of 3,663.608 acres, valued at $39,478.12. There were 54 transfers of homestead lots, an area of 61,057.155 acres, valued at $39,057.89.

A total of 183 planting agreements, representing 5,576.05 acres, were signed.

Five land and water licenses, were issued giving a total annual rental of $25,887.80. Public lands in the Territory may be transferred from the Territory for the uses and purposes of the United States by order of the President.

The Territorial public lands are under the Territorial land department unless transferred by order of the governor for special purposes. The following transfers were made during the year in the form of executive orders:

July 25, 1919: For enlarging a cross drain crossing King Street at Government remnant near Liliha Street, Honolulu, 755 square feet.

August 8, 1919: For cemetery purposes, to be known as the Honokaa cemetery lot, Paalaea, Hamakua, Hawaii, 0.50 acre.

August 12, 1919: For a public park to be known as Wailoa River Park, at Waiakea-kai, South Hilo, Hawaii, 1.07 acres.

August 30, 1919: For use by the Kilauea Council of the Boy Scouts of America, for Boy Scout and camping purposes, 64.24 acres.

October 16, 1919: For use by the Father Louis Boys' Home, Hilo, Hawaii, 42.09 acres.

October 30, 1919: 15.830 square feet.

For a playground for the Kamoiliili School, Honolulu,

November 10, 1919: For a public park to be known as Puu Ka Pele Park, at Waimea district, Kauai, 415 acres more or less.

January 8, 1920: For addition to the fumigating house lot of the board of agriculture and forestry, Honolulu, 3,656 square feet.

January 22, 1920: For a public park at Pupukea-Paumalu beach lots, Koolauloa, Oahu, 34,890 square feet.

May 17, 1920: For a memorial park at Honolulu, 6.4 acres.

June 22, 1920: For a farm colony for the use by and support of the home for feeble-minded persons, at Waimano, Ewa, Oahu, 612.13 acres.

FARM LOAN BOARD.

The first year of operation of the Farm Loan Board of Hawaii. created by Act 225 of the 1919 legislature, has clearly demonstrated the benfits of such a system. This board is composed of the attorney general, the commissioner of public lands, and the treasurer of the Territory, with an executive secretary. The subagents of the land department. the tax assessors, and deputy tax assessors throughout the Territory are agents of the board as provided by the act.

Loans are made at 6 per cent, amounting to not more than $3,000 or less than $100 in any one case. The whole amount to be loaned is limited during the first biennial period to $300,000. Every effort has been made to give the borrower the advantage of any savings or conveniences possible. The search of title and records has been done by the secretary without expense to the borrower and the forms have been made as short as is consistent with good business usage in order to reduce the recording cost. Time for payments is so arranged as to accommodate the borrower. Interest is charged only for the actual time each amount paid out on the borrower's account is outstanding. A number of mortgages have been taken up by the board, in nearly all cases at a reduced rate of interest. Some rates have been discovered as high as 10 and 12 per cent, under which it is almost impossible for the farmer to get free from debt. The help given by the board and its agents in getting the farmer's business in proper order, in thinking through his plans and advising him as to agricultural projects has been widespread and meets a real need. It has been possible in many cases to place the farmer in touch with the experiment stations, and with financial assistance.

Experience has shown that the subagents of the public lands department are well qualified to carry on the work of agents for the farm loan board because of their intimate knowledge of the lands, land values, and the persons holding Government lands under lease or agreement. They are constantly in touch with the farmers of their various districts. The tax assessors in the various localities are also well equipped to render valuable aid.

The number of loans completed to June 30, 1920, was 165, amounting to $214,785.90.

SURVEY DEPARTMENT.

FIELD WORK.

ISLAND OF HAWAII.

Homesteads. A reconnoissance survey of approximately 1,500 acres of cane land at Waiakea, third series, was made recently, and the subdivision of the tract into homestead lots is in progress, the lots to have an average area of 20, 40, and 79 acres each, depending on the locality and proportion of cane land. Considerable other detailed work was carried out.

Boundary studies.-Owing to discrepancies in several surveys, a painstaking determination was made of the boundaries of Ř. P. 5713, L. C. A. 2281 to Kaiana, which is within the public land of Waiakea, South Hilo.

Detail surveys.-A number of detail surveys were made, including a portion of the land of Keaukaha, in Waiakea, between the Hilo breakwater and the Keaau boundary; the Waiolama section, Hilo; the land of Piihonua, from the high school to and above the Henderson homestead. The Piihonua-Punahoa boundary, from the Hilo Boarding School premises up to the Hilo Waterhead Reservation, was determined. A general reconnoissance and classification survey of the Government tracts in Kohala was made. There was considerable other detailed work of this nature.

Miscellaneous surveys.-This work included a great many surveys of various kinds, as well as the checking and verifying of other

surveys.

ISLAND OF OAHU.

School lots. The department made a contour survey of the proposed new high-school site on King Street, Kewalokai, and the proposed addition to it. A large number of other surveys for school purposes were completed.

Roadways and rights of way.-Traversed right of way for pipe line from the Waialee Reservoir to the Pupukea-Paumalu Beach lots, Koolauloa; located new roadway within College Hills tract, Manoa Valley; completed several other surveys of this nature.

Waikiki reclamation project.-Connected up the coordinate references of claims involved in the reclamation area; located the kuleanas and boundaries of privately owned lands within same; also, located on the ground L. C. A. 104 FL, apanas 3 and 4, owned by the B. P. Bishop estate and desired for the drainage canal; located the improvements on the line of the proposed short-cut road from South Street to intersect the drainage canal at Kalakaua Avenue.

Miscellaneous surveys.--Much miscellaneous work was carried out, including the survey of a portion of the Government land within the Honolulu watershed forest reserve, Tantalus Heights; the determination of the boundary between Waimano-uka and Waiau, before the farm. colony for the home for feeble-minded was set aside; also the location of various kuleanas in the military reservation at Waianae, Oahu.

Magnetic stations.-The department connected up by traverse the United States Navy longitude monument, the transit of Venus Pier (Tupman's observation point), the Honolulu (H. T. S.) Observatory, and the magnetic station in the Judiciary Grounds. It may be of interest to mention here that a series of magnetic observations were made on April 13 and 19, 1920. During the same months in 1873, Prof. W. D. Alexander completed a triangulation of Pearl Harbor, and in order to measure the change in declination since that date Arthur C. Alexander of the American Factors (Ltd.), with the assistance of Messrs. R. D. King and H. E. Newton, remeasured the magnetic declination at or near some of the stations occupied by Prof. Alexander, using the same instrument. The final results show the total increase in the magnetic declination from 1873 to 1920 to be 1° 13′ E., or an average annual increase for this period of 1.55 minutes.

ISLAND OF KAUAI.

Wailua homesteads.-Lots within this tract, Nos. 1 to 31, inclusive, containing a total area of 1,082.50 acres, were resubdivided; in addition thereto, 8.58 acres reserved for a school lot; 32.25 acres set aside for roads, and 6.98 acres reserved for the railway rights of way; a kuleana and triangulation station within the subdivision, approximating 0.16 acre, were also reserved.

Waimea lots.-Restaked lots Nos. 14, 17, 18, 22, 25, 27, 33, 74, 75, and 76, in order to prepare the necessary plans for the registration of titles in the land court; completed survey of additional house lots in the same locality which are being occupied by tenants at will. Hanapepe rice and kula lots.-Marked out 54 lots leased to various parties, including practically all the rice land in Hanapepe Valley. Hanapepe town and beach lots.-The subdivision of these lots was commenced recently and will be completed very shortly.

Mana rice and pasture lands.-A detail and classification survey was made of the rice and pasture lands, including some 2,500 acres, which were formerly leased to the Kekaha Sugar Co. It is proposed to divide the same into several parcels and place the lots on the market for leasing purposes.

Mokihana section, Waimea.-Classification survey was made of the tract below the forest reserve in order to determine the area of pastoral and agricultural lands. The tract includes 440 acres of agricultural land, 5,090 acres of pastoral land, and 1,240 acres of waste land.

Waimea-Makaweli boundary.-Established the boundary and monumented it where the privately-owned land adjoins the Government land from the Waimea River to Kalehuahakihaki, a point on the lower boundary of the forest reserve.

Kalaheo-Wahiawa boundary.-Located portion of the boundary line between the Government land of Kalaheo and the private land of Wahiawa, within the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve.

Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve-Located the forest fence through the lands of Hanamaulu and Wailua.

Ili of Koula.-Made a reconnoissance survey of this ili in Hanapepe Valley, and also located the lower portion of grant 1108 to Paniani, which is situate within the above-mentioned ili.