THE COOK ISLANDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1272, 30 October 1911, Page 4

THE COOK ISLANDS.

ME. WALDEGRAVE'S EEPOET. A report by Mr. F. Waldegrave, Un-der-Secretary for Justico, oil Kis visit to Karotonga, in company with the Chief Jurticc, is printed with the animal Cook Islands report, which was tabled in the tlouco of lleproscntatives soon after 2 a.m. on .Saturday, Mr. Waldegravo says llic.ro are 0110 or two pressing matters that require the attention o{ tho New Zealand Government. Steps are being taken to secure the services of n permanent assistant medical officer. There is plenty of useful work ior two mcdical' men, and t.lvjir duties will be increased largely when legislation now in contemplation to deal with venereal diseases comes into force, lie recommends that a Judge of tho New Zviilnnd Native Land Court be lent to the Cook Islands Administration for twelve months to e!«ar up the business of (lie Native hand Titles Act. (Sir James Carroll has announced that such a Judge will be sent to tho Islands for six months.) Mr. Waldegrave says ho anticipates 110 difficulty in tho gradual transfer of the schools from tho London Missionary Society to thu Administration, and lie lias 110 doubt that the N,ew Zealand Parliament will provide the necessary financial assistance. An improvement in tho steamer services is highly necessary. The service to Wellington is a great boon, but there is great oompiaint as lo its inconvenience and tho unsuitable class of the steamers. The Inion Company him, however, purchased a steamer lor this line, and improved conditions are hoped for. Mr. Waldegrave adds that tho complaints against the local Administration have Iron so fully dealt with ill the report of tho Chief Justico that it is not necessary to refer (0 (110111 in detail. The Government of tho group is in a state of transition and every step must be tentative. "The Government has to reconcile tho conflicting interest's of tho European and the Native in tho best way it can. Time raid paticnco alone will solve these difficulties, but they are not rendered more easy ot solution by their removal into tho domain of politics. . . , Tho Native;; made no complaint against the Administration, but on the contrary expressed their satisfaction with it. So far as 1 could see, the. complaints of the Ivuropeans wero based more on personal than on public grounds, I am satisfied that the local Administration desires .to govern tho Islands with proper regard to Hi* interests of nil classes of the community; but in tho practical work of administration, it is impossible, even if it wero desirable, to pleaso everyone."