COOK ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2181, 20 June 1914, Page 7

COOK ISLANDS

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT

A ROUND OF FESTIVITIES

REFORMS DISCUSSED

PROMISE OF MORE SCHOOLS

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

riis Excellency tho Goveriior, accompanied by tho Countess of Liverpool and Captains Hutton and Eastwood, aides-de-camp, returned to New Zealand by tho Moana, after'a very successful tour of the principal islands of tho Cook Groiip. 'During'tho time His Exceleney was among tho Islands ho and his party were accommodated aboard" the Government steamer Tutanekai, which arrived n t Rarotonga on Mav 22, after a somewhat rounh voyage "from Auckland. - The Hon. Dr. romare, Minister in Charp,o of tho Cook Islands, accompanied -bji Mrs. Pomaro and Messrs. P. G. Twiss, officer in charge of tho Department, and A. N, Polsoti, private secretary, proceeded to Earotonga by tho Tutanekai, and were in attendance oil k His Excellency during y the tour. '-.-'.'* Welcome Ceremonies. The Press Association has received tho following account of tho tour: — His Excellency arrived ,in Karotonga' b.V the AVillochra on May 27', and was very cordially, welcomed by the loading Maoris. On May 28 His Excellency was entertained by Makea Ariki, and nittliy old Native dances were performed by tho Natives, who had been for mauy ■weeks preparing for this event. Tho following day the visitors were similarly honoured by Karika Ariki, a leading cliieftainess, and on tho Saturday His Excellency met til© European residents at a garden party at the Residency. On Sunday the party attended a service at the London Missionary Society's Nativo church, and sailed in the evening in tho Tutanekai for the outlying islands. The Steamer was escorted by H.M.S. Philomel, which VesSel had arrived a fon* days previously, after being blown far out of her course by a severe storm which she encountered soon after leaving Auckland. At the Other 1 Islands. The Governor visited'ln thru the Islands of Mangaia. Matike, Aiiu, Mitiaro, and Aitutftki, and was Very warmly received and hospitably entertained by tile resident agents, alid tho'Natives of each island, _ At the .conclusion, of the dances, which had; been arranged at the different' places,- the Hon. Dr. ■ Pomare hold, a conference with, tho Island .Councils, and discussed with tho Natives various matters appertaining, to the present /condition and futiiro welfare of this important dependency' of Ivew Zealand. At the Islands' of Mauke, Aitu, Mitiaro, and Aitutaki there were numerous indications ..of the severity of- tho hurriCano which struck this! portion, of tho group in Jaiiuary last. Although the galo had almost ; stripped these islands of coconuts arid oranges thus ' preventing the natives- -sending away their Usual shipment of fruit and copra,, tlioi'e Wdr6' ito sighs 'of real 'distress Visible/ 'The 'feM'supplies wero not' abundant and at:Mitiaro it- -was -'deeme<t!-ad,Visablo''ißy ithboMhiisiter 'to "send : a'sliore , -a , 'fltufntitV Of.iprovisions' 'from the Tiitanokai and'the. Philomel, bub tlie i'apid'recovery being made by tho' food .producing' trees had eliminated all • possibility of' Starvation being' suffered by tho natives. Tho Islanders, ' led by the" resident) agents", have been hard at Work bringing their' plantations into order again, and generally it Was apparent tkit by next sea* son ' the Islands will have recdvercd frOtn what has been most serious visitation experienced for many years. In Aitutaki many of the native houses are, still roofless and the remains of •a. school and the- sight of prostrate ■ trees in all directions bore testimony to the severity of • the hUfficuilo ill that locality. ' . , ' ' A Fish Drive. The Vice-Regal .party arrived back at Rarotonga on June 6, and the day's intervening between the departuro "of His Excellency .for Ne* 2cttlalid on Juno li,.'were given dv'ef to a further series of ontertninmeuts provided by the natives, On JllhO 6, the natives arranged a fish drive ill the lagoon' at Nikau and Their Excellencies, and the - party woro entertained at luncheon by Mr. W. P./UWM'll and MIS, Broivii. The old native practice of-poisdhing the lagoon with UtU ntlt, and thus-parti' ally stupefying : the. iish, Waa shown to the Visitors and some seven hundred natives t-oal;' part iif.thei.jspcariug operations, On-Jlma.B, the'Vice-Regal party proceeded to Ngataligiia, at the eastern end of Harotongaj 'whero native dances and a feast Were'provided by Pit Ariki; .Hpfe, and at Arorangi, •whoro His Excellency and party were similarly .entertained the'following day ■by finoiiiaila Ariki, a thoroughly enjoyable day tvas spent. The excellent piogfamttie, afranged by the peoplo of the Cook Islands in hondllr of tho Vice-Regal visit, ended oil Wednesday evening, June iO, with & ball given by Makoa Ariki, at which.Mrs. Tiniraii acted as hoßtoss. EDUCATION IN THE CROUP. STATEMENT BY DR. POMARE. Soon after his arrival at Rarotonga the .H6H. Dr. Pomare liiot tlie AritiiS ' and discussed with them various aspects of Island affairs, and lie Was able to make a definite statement regarding the intention of the New Zealand Government to establish StatS schools in tho CcOk Islands, Three, he said, were to be opened Oil iiarotOiiga and olio at Aitutaki. Th 6 Government Would ask Parliament for. ft craiit suffldeiitly large ,to provido for the maintenance and equipment of these schools and the payment of teachers' salaries for a period of five years, at tlio ciid of which time it was hoped that the Cook Islands would be in a position to bear the whole cost of the Islands' education system. The Government expected tho natives to hand over tho buildings at present in use as schools to the Education Department, and also to provide ■ sites for schools, to be established in tho future and land to be reserved for educational purposes. It was not expected that it would bo necessary at first to erect any new buildings except perhaps for use as teachers' residoncos, but whero such wore required the local Administration would undertake the work of erecting same. The New Zealand Government expected that any revenue derived from tho reserves should lie placed to tho credit of the Now Zealand vote for schools in the Cook Islands. Tho staffs and salariis.of theso schools would be on a scale similar to that at present in force in the Native school!, of New Zealand, and the junior positions on the staffs would bo filled, by Islanders who had received or were undergoing training, and a certjiii pi'o- * portion of whom would be taken from tho outlying islands. General control of the Cook Islands system would be exercised by tho head master of the Avarua School, and the latter would bo a training school for young Native teachers of both sexes. The Minister estimate.! . that for the first year t lie scheme would cost £1660. ■ The Arikis received the Minister's statement with expressions of great satisfaction. "M'v3 .desire our children to learn English," remarked Pa Ariki, "a

language of which they iiro at present growing up practically in ignorance. Your remarks concerning the educational question aro especially gratifying to tis. The matter is an urgent one ami we ltopo for an early solution of our troubles in this respect. AVo hope that the matter will not he overlooked." Hon. Dr. Pomare: "It will he brought into operation this year, subject, of course, to the approval or Parliament. Other Reforms. The Minister spoko at some length on other questions, dealing particularly with the desirability of the adoption of vigorous measures to secure the health of the Natives, tho good results that have attended the public works policy of the Administration, tho importance of protecting and developing tho fruit industry, tho necessity of revising and validating the laws of tho Cook Islands, which, ho said, would bo i undertaken ■by Parliament during the forthcoming session, and the intention of the Government of putting the Land Titles Court upon which would enable it to undertake the outstanding work, awaiting it in tho various islands with tho least possible delay. He appealed to the Arikis to assist the Administration 'in suppressing bush-beer drinking, and ho asked them to work together for the preservation of their people, and the good government of the Islands. If they did not combino with this ono end and purpose in view, llarotonga would degenerate and tlie out. petitions. His Excellency and the Hon. Dr. Pomaro took an caily opportunity of meeting tho representative Natives and hearing any petitions they might wish to make. Petitions were presented from the Natives by Mr. W. P. Brown, asking for various improvements and concessions on tho part of tho. New Zealand .-Government. In reply to tho request for the establishment of schools, His Excellency made a statement announcing the intentions of the Government On the lilies already indicated by tho Hon. Dr. Pomare. The Natives asked that more doctors should be appointed to attend to tho health of the population, and His Excellency said that his advisers would try to devise some -means whereby the whole of the Maoris in the Islands would receive proper medical attention. The cost of such -a scheme presented seri'dus difficulties. The Natives asked that tho old Federal Council should be reconstituted and validated. His Excellency said that the matter would certainly be considered by tho Govern' ment along with the question of vahd-.i i'ating the-Federal-Ordinances passed during the lust ten years-. Advice From His Exoallenoy. His Excellency was of opinion, however, that all people in tho Islands should be consulted on this matter. Ho would likd them to consider if it would not be better, while communication with Jho outlying islands was so difficult, for each island to make its own local laws, subject to the Approval of the Government. It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, for each island to send a representative to Rarotonga to sit in tho Federal Council, and the people of the other" Islands'would undoubtedly object to having laws made for them solely bv'thc people of Karotonga. The matter wotild be very fully considered, Unci the leading Natives would bo consulted'again before anything definite Was done." The Native petitioners then asked that the Fntit Inspection Ordinance, which had- been found to be inValid, should bo legalised,-that a better Service for the shipment of fruit should be arranged,'-and that.the, Cook, Island* fruitgrowers should be prote.pte<V,.ijl,tho; Now Zealand market against competition bv tile:, fruitgrowers, o/-,, Fiji and, tho Society islands__His 'Excellency, stated that the Fruit Inspection Orcli-: Dance would'lie validated during the 'forthcoming session of Parliament, that tho matter of improving tho shipping services would"-be .carefully inquired ilito, and that the question of imposing a duty Oil fruit from islands other than ths Ccok Islands;' which presented several difficulties, would also receive the attentioii'of tho Government. A number: of private petitions -were also received bv Ilis Excellency. Tho Tutanekai, with the Hon. Dr. Pomare and his party on board, sailed for Nine, en route to New' Zealand,- en June 11, and the Philomel took her departure on the previous day for Vavau and Suva. Both ships,are expected to arrive in New Zealand about the end df June, • . -