169 
with the homesteaders among whom the lands are apportioned. 
There are enough corporately held sugar estates in the Territory 
whose holdings are public lands, on which the leases will expire 
within a short time, to make a thorough test of the feasibility of 
making sugar profitably from cane raised by inde[>endent farm- 
ers. Failure will mean an end of some sugs.r prodr-'cing com- 
panies, and success a revolutionary change — one immensely ad- 
vantageous to the general interests of the Territory — in the Ha- 
waiian sugar industry. Not the least benefit from success would 
be an intrinsic one to the industry, from the increased yield of 
cane through the intensive cultivation that tillers of their own 
soil would give. This is being demonstrated now in Queensland. 
Other events of the year, partly related to that just considered, 
and affecting diversified farming as well as sugar raising, may 
be briefly stated. First is the beginning of conservation work 
in the islands by Federal experts at Territorial expense. This 
service is certainly destined to add considerably to the limited 
area of cultivable land in the Territory, making more room for 
producing citizen settlers. Next is the work of the Commissiou 
on Advances to Homesteaders, which has resulted in a report 
just rendered to the Executive covering three bills for submission 
to the Legislature. The commission finds that the measure to 
provide for money advances to homesteaders proposed would 
likely be unconstitutional. In lieu of such a law they submit 
three bills, all designed to assist and encourage the homesteader. 
One is for provision by the Territory of cheap transportation for 
the settler whereby he may profitably market his products. An- 
other measure is to provide for making improvements on home- 
steads in advance of sale, so that the settler may find shelter, 
water, fences, etc., on the homestead he buys. The third is to 
reduce the interest on deferred payments to the Territory by the 
homesteader to five per cent, per annum. 
Among conditions joining with events in making hopeful aus- 
pices for general farming development a few only need be stated. 
There is the pioneer work already done by enterprising indi- 
viduals and corporations, which has fairly demonstrated the 
capability of Hawaiian soil to yield profitably of various staples 
having' either local or world markets. With such pioneer work 
in fruit, cotton, rubber, tobacco, copra, etc., is also to be con- 
sidered the practical investigating, experimenting and educating 
work of the Territorial Experiment Station and the College of 
Hawaii, which obviates for the homesteader to a very great ex- 
tent the necessity of passing through the painful experience of 
the oldtime pioneer in new country development. It is all es- 
pecially valuable service for the newcomer into tropical agri- 
culture. Lastly, mention may be made of the immense expansion 
of the home market for food products which has taken place here 
within a few years, and is still in progress, in the advent of 
large military forces for permanent stationing here, the con- 
