THE COOK ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 297, 11 September 1919, Page 6

THE COOK ISLANDS

TRADE POSSIBILITIES TALK OF NATIVES' GRIEVANCES A DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE When the report of the Cook Islands Department wiis presented to the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr. C. H. Poolo (Auckland West) urged tho Government to reoliso the importance of the trade of the Islands. New Zealand had taken an additional responsibility with reference to Samoa, and the interests of the Dominion demanded that trade with, tho Island dependencies should be encouraged. Tho trade of tho Cook Islands was already drifting away to other countries, and it threatened to disappear altogether. Hon. Dr, Pomare: Nonsenso.. Mr. Poole retorted that the things said of the Cook Island administration in tho Islands might surprise the Minister.' .Tho trade of tho Islands ougnt to come to New Zealand. But tho island-

ers had lost heart with referenco to the prqductiou of fruit owing to the indifferent shipping services. Tho least tho Government could do was to seo that ' the. islanders had a chanco to get their produce to markets. Mr. Poole added that ha had an idea the Pacific Islands would 'havo been tetter off if they had been placed in a Pacific Federation, with auSadministrativo centre in their own" midst. The present position was that trado which ought to come to New Zealand was drifting away to America and Australia. Tho fruit required by tho people of Now Zealand was going- to waite. Mr. H. G. Ell (Christ-church South) protested against tho. "continued ineptitude" of tho Cook Island adniinistra-' tion. The Islands produced enormous quantities of cheap fruit, but owing to tho poor and'irregular shipping services tho fruit went to waste to a largo extent, whilo a 6mall quantity was sold in New Zealand at high prices. Tho Government ought either to put on a Stats steamer or else impose penalties on Mm subsidised companies for failure to maintain regular services. Hon. Dr. Pomare: That is dono now. , Mr. Ell: The shipping services are not improved. • ;■ Dr. Pomaro: You can't help that. Tho whole world is suffering from want of shipping. Mr. A E. Glovor '(Auckland Central) claimed to bo tho only member of the House who could speak and iread tho Uiofc Island langnago and who kept in touon with the natives. The Union Steam i»fap Company, in his opinion, was exploiting the Islands to tho disadvantage of tho natives and of the New Zealand consumers. The Dominion should and conld have cheap fruit from tho Island* He himself, m old days, had been ablo to sell retail a case containing twolve dozen oranges for to The present price . of the Island fruits in New Zealand was duo entirely to tho bad shipping arrangements. Tho.natives weie being treated t most unfairly. They wore. deprived of the chaMß-of developing their trade and often were left with thousands of cases on their hands owing to the non-appear- ' ance of ships. The use of slow steamers on the Island routes meant that very much fruit went bad en route to New Zealand. Mr. Glover said-that, the official party which recently visited the toot Islands had not been .received with the approval indicated in official reports. Ho liad received letters on the subject from- natives. ■

Dr. Pomare: What natives? Mr. Glover said he would show tho Minister tho letters. He was not sure-' u 'ms information was correct. • Dr. Pomare: Incorrect, as usual. .Mr H. Holland (Grey) said that ever since his election he had been in receipt of correspondence regarding tho condi. lions at the Cook Islands and the disabilities under which the .natives lived. 1-liq trouble arose from the fact that tho natives wore being governed from o lons distance and had no direct representation, He had been'told, in letters that the first reception to tho official party . had been -very ohilly, on account of things that had been done. A second reception 'had been more enthusiastic. One grievance was that a statement prepared by tho Cook Island Progress Association had been censored,. Dr. Pomare: That was here in Now Zealand. Mr. Holland advocated self-deter-mmation far the Islands, and suggested that a representative Parliamentary party should go to the Cook group to study the situation and 'hear tho natives' ' grievances. Dr. Pomare, in reply,''said it was not ' truo that the trade of tho Cook Islands • had been lost. It had been diminished by lack of shipping, but that state of affairs applied to most countries. tW ' Zealand had not been aWo to get its meat . away, and no Minister could have avoid- v ed tho lack of shipping It had' been suggested that other shinping companies 6honld be brought in, but there was a contract between tho Government - and tho TJ.S.S. Company to bo considered. He did not believe in tearing up scraps of paper, and tho contract had still a year to run. Tho trouble in Rarotouga had not been, due entirely'to shipping. The producers of' Rarotonga had lost - heart at one tirno, it was true, but that was because a ring of traders fixed prices ■ that gave the producers no return. The' fruitgrowers had been getting as little as 2s. a caso. They sometimes received debit notes instead of returns. The natives made a fair offer. They offered to sell to the traders at ss. a case. Tho ' traders deoliiScd, and tho natives threatened to oxport direct. The traders then refused to supply boxes. The Govornment stopped in and supplied boxes, with the result that tho producers 6hip. ped on their own account and got 10s; a caso whore thoy had been getting 2s. ' Cd. before. He had been told that tho .production of fruit was being increased 'owing to tho,improved outlook. It was true .that the white people had no'representation on the island councils. But how many w f hito people were there in tho Islands? The total number, men, women and ohildren, was abdut 150.

Mr. li. M. Isitt (Christchurch North): Did they ask for prohibition this tirao? Dr. Pomare: "No. They asked for permission to brew orange wine. That was ona of their complaints." The natives, said the Minister, had representation in their island councils. Did members understand tho position? 'Die Cook Islands had been taken over by New Zealand on a distinct understanding that tho fcrmor method of government .would 1)6 allowed to bo continued. Did tho member for Grey suggest that the agreement 6liould.be treated as a. scrap, of paper? The small group of Europeans could not be given representation on tho councils without tearing up the agreement. With regard to the reception of the official party, ho was prepared to say that lie would rcceivo a. warmer reception at tho Islands than any member who had spoken. (Laughter.) Sonio of the liononvablo member's friends—the peoplo who had written, letters—had como along and" given a few hoots. Thoro. had been nothing chilly about the recoption given by the natives. Mr. Holland: The first day? Dr. Ponin.ro: The chill on the first day was duo to rain. No one knew tho hour of our arrival. The conditions had been ohilly. Tho natives, wero ouito satisfied. It wus a few white men—not all tho white men—who wero not satisfied. Tho roport mentioned by Mr. Holland had boon published. An Imperial censor had excised sonio portions of it, which suggested that tho writers had not kept witliiu tho bounds of decency. Mr. Holland: Will you. read tho censored portions? Dr. Pouiaro:. "I have nothing to do with the censor." The New Zealand Government had not neglected the Islands. When the Cook Islands wero taken over ■ conditions were chaotic, owing to tho same sort of people who were now complaining, Sonio of those people had to bo deported beforo conditions improved. Tho natives wero satisfied with the administration. They wero dissatisfied with some, white traders, and thcro had been a riot, when sonio buildings were pulled down. Tho white rcsidonts did not own an inch of land in tho group. The administration had provided schools, water telephono communication and wireloss, and it satisfied the natives. .Members had been complaining without ( information. . , :