47 
veloped,  thereby  adding  to  the  territorial  domain  as  a whole 
greater  productivity  and  also  increasing  the  resources  and  rev- 
enues of  the  Territory.  Practically  speaking,  new  or  more  land 
is  created,  that  is,  all  land  is  brought  to  a higher  state  of  useful- 
ness. It  is  wiser  to  ask  the  settler  to  help  develop  the  land  of  the 
Territory,  rather  than  to'  place  himi  on  land  which  others  have 
already  developed  for  him.  This  policy  is  advocated  by  Mr.  F.  H. 
Newell  of  the  United  States  Reclamation  Service  after  a personal 
inspection  of  every  island  in  the  group  and  a consideration  of  the 
administration  of  any  system  of  land  laws  relative  thereto.  While 
the  policy  above  outlined  and  shared  in  by  Mr.  Newell  is  the  main 
policy  and  should  be  the  end  sought  to1  be  attained,  yet  it  is  deemed 
advisable  that  in  conjunction  with  that  policy  to>  a limited  extent, 
and  depending  upon  their  character  and  situs,  lands  already  highly 
developed,  such  as  land  at  present  under  cultivation  for  sugar 
cane,  be  gradually  opened  for  settlement.  The  opening  for  home- 
stead settlement  purposes  of  lands  being  at  the  present  time  under 
cultivation  for  sugar  cane,  should  be  accomplished  by  a growth, 
an  evolution,  not  a revolution.  Great  care,  however,  should  be 
exercised  in  the  homesteading  of  such  lands.  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  by  overwhelming  odds  the  cultivation  of  sugar  cane  is  the 
main  industry  of  the  Territory.  The  prosperity  of  the  Islands 
requires  that  this  industry  be  continued  and  not  crippled  or  its 
present  status  diminished  beyond  a certain  limited  extent  by 
withdrawing  from  its  support  the  experienced  and  dependable  cul- 
tivation of  lands  at  present  devoted  to-  that  purpose.  Consequently 
lands  lying  in  the  center  or  indispensable  to  the  use  of  the  planta- 
tion should  not  be  withdrawn  for  homestead  purposes.  While 
there  is  still  other  good  agricultural  land  to  be  developed  which 
will  be  more  readily  available  and  the  particulars  of  which  will 
be  more  easily  ascertainable  after  complete  surveys,  data  and 
descriptions  have  been  made  as  hereinbefore  recommended,  the 
Commission  can  see  no1  occasion  for  opening  much  of  this  land 
at  the  present  time,  and  therefore  recommends  that  gradually  and 
only  from  time  to'  time  should  such  highly  developed  lands  be 
opened  for  settlement. 
All  leases  executed  at  the  present  time  of  government  lands 
suitable  for  agricultural  purposes  contain  the  reservation  that  the 
government  may  withdraw  any  of  the  demised  land  at  any  time 
for  homesteading  purposes.  This  is  an  ample  protection  for  the 
future. 
The  Commission  does  not  favor  the  guarantee  by  the  Territory 
of  the  bonds  of  private  railroad  enterprises  thereby  involving  the 
responsibility  for  the  payment  by  the  Territory  of  large  amounts 
of  money.  This  Territory  is  now  obligated  to'  the  payment  of  its 
own  public  bonds  and  miay  desire  to  issue  more  bonds  for  public 
as  distinguished  from;  quasi  public  purposes,  that  is,  for  those  pur- 
poses within  the  limitations  imposed  by  the  Organic  Act. 
Committed  to  a policy  of  guaranteeing  the  bonds  of  railroad 
