COOK ISLANDS TRADE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 297, 11 September 1919, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS TRADE

NATIVES AND WHITES CONFLICT OF INTERESTS Somo interesting facts and comments on the trade of tho Cook Hands aro given in the. annual report of the Resident Commissioner, presented to the House of Representatives yesterday Following aro extracts:— During'tho year our chief exports were 13(1,000 cases of fruit valued at .£II,OOO (as against 105,000 cases, of the value of JJ.3U.500, tho previous year), and 1750 tons of copra (JD37.000) as against 700 tons valued at X' 19,000. Tho lota} value of our imports was J!99,632, compared with ■£80,000 for the year befon-. As much as other parts of tho Empire —perhaps more, because of our geographical position—tho Cook Islands have suffered from tlio economic pressure of tho war, and especially from tho dearth of shipping. And in this respect tho last six months, ended March, 1919, were tho most disastrous wo have experienced since tho war began; but that wis owing to the influenza epidemic hire and in New Zealand, and to resultant labour difficulties. Our fruit-export during that period sank to the lowest on .record.- This season we arc doing much better; but, for all that, not more than one-third of the fruit ciop of these Islands is being exported to New Zealand. The rest must rot on the trees because of the lack of shipping space. As shipping is released from war contracts the position will continue to iic prove. Wo can iook forward at an early date to a cargo service to New Zealand that will carry every availablo case of fruit, say, 500,000 cases, instead of 150,000 cases, during the season! This must mean an unprecedented expansion of trade; and, as the fruit business is being .so reorganised ns to assure to the fruitgrower, a profitable return for his produce, the outlook is n bright one. Traders and Natives, During tho past two years there have been repeated complaints by the natives of the operations of combines. A combination of four or live traders has for a long time past been strong ouough every season to fix tho price tile natives must accept for their fruit. It must bo remembered that nearfy all the. fruit exported from tho Islandsmore than seven-eighths of tho total output—is grown by tho native planters. The natives complain that the prices fixed by these organisations have been unreasonably low, and that for c. time'last season, for example, tho fruitgrowers had to" ue'eopt Is. a case. Similarly, a combination of the same traders has fixed ojid controlled tho price of copra. | Hitherto, if tho natives objected, tlio traders havo been nble to reduco them | to subjection by cutting off tho supply of fruit-cases, copra-bags, etc.; and they havo always held a stronger card in "a practical monopoly of steamer and schooner space. .This feeling of resentment against the operations of thcßo [ rings has been stronger since the return of the soldiers, and it reached a climax this season, which began in March. This fruit ring fixed tho price at 2s. Od. per ense. The native fruitgrowers havo formed a ring of their own, and they declined to sell under ss. per ease. Neither party wuuld alter its price. Tho natives then decided to export their iVuit thcmselvco, but tho traders met that decision b.y cutting off tho supply of fruit cases and by asserting a claim, based upon lonff usage, to tho shipping space. O'ning to want of capital, and of credit in Now Zealand, the natives have nlwa>s been dependent upon tho local traders for fruit cases, They now complained to the Administration, and. asked for help, tfpon inquiry it was found that these statements of the natives were correct, and idle administration th-in assisted them to obtain a supply of cases and a 6lmro of the shipping space. They were thus enabled to ship their own fruit directly to the agents selected by themselves. So far this new departure has had very satisfactory results for the notivi-s, for tho fruit for which the buyers tried to make them tako 2s. fid. a casq they cleared 10s. a caso; in subsequent shir-wen Is they hwo doho oven better than that. Tho Real Wealth. The same battie has been fought and won. by the producers of New Zealand. It is a question of the interests of tho whole native population of the Group as against those of the four or five traders who havo hitherto controlled the fruit and copra export trade of tho Islands. When shipping facilities nre so increased, as they soon will be, that the nativegrowor is able to export the whole of his crop, this new trade nrrangement will assure him a fair return for his labour and a fair share of the value of bis produce. It will thus enable him to raise his standard of living and of comfort, which is sadly in need of improvement. The islanders themselves are the real wealth of tho Islands. To promote their ■general welfare, their health, their education, as well as their material prosperity, is the ta;k of the Administration.-