THE COOK ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 8

THE COOK ISLANDS

TRADE OF THE GROUP

PROSPECTS AND POSSIBILITIES

AN INTERESTING REVIEW. Prosperous conditions in the Cook Is- ■ lands are tlescrilied by the ltesident Commissioner. Mr. F. \V Halts, who i:> at present visiting New Zealand. "In regard to trade," said Mr. l'latts to a reporter, "the best year before-the war was 1913, when the Island trade reached .£220.209 in value. Jt'or eleven months of the current year, to November 30. 1919. wo have already beaten that record with: Exports, J:ll2,;90 £lU.m, ii total of ,£227,250, so sur trade for this vear will be at least .1235,000. We still suffer from a very serious lack of ahiooine. The Union Company could not handle a third of our potential ex ports of fruit this year. They have carried 120.000 eases in eleven months. \\ ith shinninc spaeo for the whole of our fruit, we could send half a million eases to New Zealand. As we are promised a considerable improvement in shipping for tho coming season, we luaj confidently look forward to a continued and unorecedented expansion of trade. "The prosperity and progress ot the Islands depend wholly upon the snipping facilities. That these, have> been inadeauate during the fi ve far i due largely to circumstances oyer which neither the Government o Nov, Zeautnd the Administration, nor tne Union Com nanv has had anv control. The position KnloU'ed by /««»«: whilst in the latter part of 19 b the | fluenn enidemic added to the bfficui ties Nevertheless, there ks», ontinual complaint and {.rote ' yJJ* Administration against the »» d «TO of the service, and «f'" Bt . ™ raisine of freights. As I nme -aia, her Iscviry "prospect of **«"*$ nrdvement in the former, and i>e sihu. o HnT our efforts for more cqmtabl treatment in regard to the Wtei. lk» Sr.Xt^^tT l .«one 7 T«l«n S4l and is being spenn> to £ lind lam speaking of Earotonta. ± nnfe of the outer islands nnforhmn t, where transport conditions are j«y l> H»,l nr ces ore still very POO.I- - group during the coming year.

An Erroneous View. that an improssion prevaiis i 1T terS that N ™Zealandis losSrSoSSrffiJ Potion of it o tions and the lack of si PP nt,. Th . B , a X '" Tot copriT export of America was MM nnrr* .£34 344; imports, ,tla,.«t. Again tireij oi L °i , "' , „. ,„, : fm . cn „ rn whilst no less than i s tm copi«, in Hip balance pearl-shell ot tne. \auu. of &fe included. Going bnck again to 1913 the TslaiKls exported that ywr H29 tons of copra, valued at .£336,9 New Zealand took 100 tons, valued at Iw the United Kingdom 848 ons, tlue i 19.50*. and U.S.A. 481 tons val o .£12,025. In 1918 w» exported 1452 toTof c prn, valued at £37, 24 New Zealand took five tons, va ued at «; United States 1442 tons, valued ; »tm ; 704. Tahiti, 305 tons, valued at i..i4iio, the United Kingdom, nil. Hetnrns for this year are incomplete, but they show agd/that copra and pearl-sl,c 11 accou for the whole of our export, trade inth America From these facts and figures, ft is dear that the United Kingdom, and not New Zealand, has lost trade to America from the Islands. That was one of the inevitable results of the war. In 1917-18 the importation of copra into the United Kingdom was prohibited. Even now no space for copra is available on Home steamers. ■ . "It is remarkable that, our imports from U.S.A. aro only about half the value of our exports to that country. They consist of the lines New /inland" herself imports from America, viz.: carriages, motor-cars, kerosene, cotton goods, etc. In any commodities that New Zealand can supply American trade has suffered. The value of imported American flour .C 1079, in. 1913 fell tn .£36 in 1918, and sawn timber, f3G0.1, in 1913 fell to .£307 in 1918 Unfortunately, there is no market for copra in New Zealand at nrcsent. There never has been one; but the' Administration Is trvin* to create one,; nnd the prospects are hopeful. It is manifest that such a market would be of mutual advantage. "Our revenue this year is particularly buoyant. It exceeds that of any previous year in the history of the Administration. Last year our surplus was .£2785. We expect to double that. Revival of Planting. "The good prices Ihe Natives havo obtained tnis year, ami the excellent arrangements tiicy nave been able to wake for tne export of their fruit, have given them such encouragement that -there has been a great renewal of pluming. Seveiieighths of the fruit we export 13 grown by the .Native planters, and they aro keenly alive now to the advantages,, of improving and extending their plantations. The Administration has procured all the citrus trees (young • stock) available in Now Zealand, and has sold them to the planters at half cost. The Native growers have put in over 00,000 banana plants. On a number of plantations, tobacco is being tried. The chemical experts of the New Zealand Tobacco' ponipany, Ltd., have analysed samples of soil from different parts of tho island. They report that 6ome districts arc eminently suitable for tobacco culture. Thousands of seedlings are now being supplied ,I'rom the Government nursery to the planters, and great interest is being taken in the experiment. "A Co-operativo Credit Bank has beon established to assist the Natives, 'We have no State Advances Department. As the Natives cannot mortgage their land, they cannot give the securities such a department requires. The Credit Bank is designed to'enable tho Natives to obtain advances for the clearing and improvement of their plantations, the purchase of agricultural implements, seeds, new fruit trees, etc. It is meeting with splendid support. The Natives will be encouraged to mnnigo its nffnirs .themselves, under supervision. In the I'hillipines similar banks havo proved of great value. ■ "It has been decided to erect a packing shed at Rarotonga, the _details of which arc now being arranged. It is intended that tho shed shall be in full operation during the next season. Our fruit experts'regard (his. as a very important step forward in the improvement of the fruit trade. Amongst other advantages, it is hoped that by a more complete inspection of the fruit at Rarotonga. by gTading and better packing, the necessity of rc.inspeetion at the New Zealand ports will be obviated, and better fruit will bo placed on tho market."