A RESIDENT'S VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 985, 28 November 1910, Page 4

A RESIDENT'S VIEWS.

GENERALLY ENDORSES ME. HOSKING'S STATEMENTS. DISAGREES ON LIQUOR QUESTION. [To tho Editor.] Sir,—l Mas gieatly interested to read ■your-interview with Mr. Hosking, and also-.the subsequent .correspondence be-tween-that gentleman and Mr.' Skerrett.■;; MK Skcrrctt's impulsiveness in rushing;-into print in defence of his friend is more praiseworthy than logioal; Even should Mr. Hosking have exaggerated matters—and Ido not say ho , has—he is far mire likely te bo bet- - -ter informed.than Mr. Skerrett," , who may bo better known in Wellington but it is local knowledge that counts in this case.

That matters on Rarotonga havo been at sixes and sevens since the commencement of Mr. Smith's regime no one caii truthfully.deny. .By: a most ill-advised speech;he put.the,. baclca of the European popula^o", up witlin a few days of his ar-rcal.- He .informed them that he wp,3 honrto: govern, and govern-he would.; He (hko the .miller of tho Dee) Jidnt fss.ro for' anybody—was independent, ofi everybody." And'a lot mbro besides; J ..... The natives will'toll you that he has not mado . any efforts,'to obtain' their goodwill,-and thut tareliarekas,, which were- not infrequent in J Colonel•" Gudacon's time, are nerer. heard of now. lhat there is dissatisfaction is amply proved to.you by this mail, for copies of a petition are on their way to Now Zealand to many parties praying for 'the removal of the local medical officer Dr.' Chessqn, signed by 1100' (eleven hundred) natives, out of a total population of about 2500; and you may guess that tho natives' have childron.-

': That DrL Cheseoii's appointment is .unpopular there is hoi doubt, and-that thoro was a, considerable amount of illfeeling .shoiyn. to Dr. Dawson .in. the past by the authorities, which originated in_a distinctly potty manner, is Very evidont. Thero, might he somo very awkward i]uestions to answer in. tliis matter, .if , a 'proper, inquiry were granted. . ...... Tho hospital, which is one- of the hinges of the dispute, lias been completed nearly a year. Money has been voted for its furnishing, but up to tho present there is not a stick of fuini-

turo in it, unless you count about three benches lor uso of patients, who come not. Therei is a serious charge against the Public Health Department and tho Now Zealand Government, arid one that should particularly cause Mr. Carroll to flunk.- Much is continually talked about tho preservation of the Maori race, etc; etc.- It is quite a political plank. U hat is being done to preserve them in the islands? Practically nil. llie Pnmo Minister says that theso islands are a valuable ' asset. Then why not treat them as such. There is one medical officer for this widely-dispersed group. Uhe great menace of tho native race is the most vile and virulent form of venereal disease. . Tahiti and the ircncli group are rotten with it in Tahiti, it is said, it exists;to the extent of 80 per cent of tho nonulation—an appalling truth. Tho steamers carry from Barotonga many natives as deck hands to work the cargo at Papeete and Raeatea. and tho Cook'group. These deck hands are tho means -of tho introduction of much disease, which will, without the aid of any, others, if not taken in time, eventually exterminate tho native race of .whose, cousins, tho. Maoris, New Zealand professes to be so proud. In the first place, this deck-hand business should stop, but if it is proved to be unavoidable, then there should bo a sound and thorough system of examination'of all natives entering the.Cook group from tho French islands, aud to do that will .need a better paid anc ■larger staff. Tho making of laws and ;tho increase of commerco will bo nothing to the island possessions of New ,Zealand if at the same time the health or its inhabitants is not carefully 'fostered. But "when it is a case of grappling that which is most vile and loath •sorno, tho British race, and that "wowser -ridden country, Now Zealand in particular, prefers to turn a shocked countenance to tho other side. This is all by the way Since tho Dominion took over this group, have they observed the Agreement of Annexation? In all or any of its clauses? Far from it, I belfovo. And I have heard that should tho question arise, many'of tho laws passed or recent years in Maori Council would bo tound to be null and void.if contested. And this continues at tho present time. Laws are rushed through Council of which tho Maoris are but 111-iriformedr if informed at all A white member in tho Council to see to , ™ t .?,»terests was, I belicvo, sanctionedby.tlio New Zealand House, and the letters Sprinted in the. Cook Island yearly. Estimates provo it. yet this has been,,it would-appear, shelved/and got no .'further'than, the local Coinmisloner's.Office. Why? Is the presence of a white-man at, the Council something they locally fear? No officer can be, I understand, ap-xnnt-ed without the approval of the JSatrre.Council. Yet this is not observed. -Therefore, all present, or nearly all, appointments aro illegal. On tho matter of prohibition, I for one do "not agreo with Mr. Hoskiii" ■Prohibition "is unnecessary. ■ Tho present system works well, an d as far as drunKennessi. is concerned it is a rare .occurrence to-soo a white man under the influence of liquor. Barotonga is almost temperate place, and that any effort-should bo made to place : a ban i P r-ni°" r hq J Jo ', is stron gly resented. A Jittlo is a decided tonic in tho tropics and tho present system could not be improved upon. Tho official at whoso discretion it is issued is a very fair and able man, and .has all tho power that is necessary to put.a stop to excess on the part of anyone. It is not reely issued to natives, and never will ■Ve : i 1? ? nlj - drawn with a doctor's certificate at present. As far as whites supplying. itv.to\ natives' is concerned it,is. regrettable that people holding the positions-.thoy do should descend to such a..level.:to procure a grain of X>pularity. Drunkenness, during the ast.year.pr, ; so has been decidedly on tne.inorpaee. among tho natives, and of course, with its attendant evils-la'rri-kiniam, profanity, theft, housebrealcinK etc. A few years ago such a thing as a white lady having to ' charco a native with insulting language was „„* known, but such a case recently ocv'S a «oJ ias been tL of-iho that f <! r the Protection fJt,'rr £>Oan P°P ulat '<>n the New Zealand Government advised our local tieTSvf , that t threats of ft'ture p nalties gavo place to actual infliction The .writer would point out that he lias v° penenco O f some years' residence here" t£ P u In , Co]oD «I-Gudgeon's time been n' Iht ™ they e(I haVG n °t oeen m them, so can't pose as in authority), .were freely ns,d for m?s demeanante, and th/ natives "\ certain fear of this form of punishment At present, for reasons, I cannot ascerta n their use seems t<, be tabooed. I w. 1. admit that Mr. Smith can show a better return of court dnes than ever Tf f S ° r ' S t-' mo ' but [t is ?<""■ ■R o . l^.* 0 credit for, revenue of tms sort. ' .:-.-.•

]: 'On perusing tho .local estimates I .was, to-' say tho least of it, surprised to find that'£6so had been expended on patching, up the Residencey, which twelve-(tropical) years old. This Is only.one of several extravagances ivJiiou, if if- can bo explained in tho tap e of many of tho mistaken economies will provb Mr. Smith to be all the diplomat Mr. Skerrett avows he is Uno of the chief ideas of "tho chief "' as he is termed by certain persons would appear to bo to impress the natives by meajis of a blazo of crimson and toss. It cannot bo said that Mr femith has committed any great' blunders' since-his-arrival. What is compliimpd: of is tho long scries of. small ones. Things left undone are as bad as thoso dond badly.. What is needed here, is a inaD.. who "is .'Broad-minded, hrm, , capable, and sympathetic, and who would , not lend an.'car .to.'tho talebearing, tongues of» incompetent,, and therefore, 'fawning, subordinates. ' • Mr. , Smith did make one bid lately for popularity. -Nothing is dea'rer to tho native than pork. And at Government expenso three prize pigs wore lately, imported to improve''the- local breed of Captain Cookers. This was a master stroke of genius. Moro so that ate present tho place is orei-rnn with swine, which are the .causo of much troublo and damage to property. ■Tor the present;- I think" this 'is enough. Not that I have by any means ■exhausted the fund of'-'.niy knowlcdgo ro tho administration here "in vogue. There are other matters -on ivhsoh I can touch with truth and proof, not to , mention tho axiditor cum" private secretary institution. —I am, etc., ' ' ""TIKA. Rarotonga,. Novembor- 8, 1910.