COOK ISLANDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2134, 17 July 1907, Page 3

COOK ISLANDS.

PETITION TO NEW ZEALAND. (N.Z. Herald Correspondent.) Some months ago a petition numerously signed by the local Europeans, was forwarded to the Minister in Charge of the Cook Islands administration in New Zealand praying for representation on tile local Island Council. A reply dated June 30. was received to tlio effect that the Hon.J. McGowan sympathised deeply with tho desire of the British residents in the Islands to acquire some share in the government thereof, but ho was not aware that they suffered any special disabilities under the present system, nor indeed did they allege that they were laboring under any grievance. As they were aware when the Cook Group was ceded to Great Britain (New Zealand?) one of the conditions of the occasion was that the then existing Parliament i should be abolished and replaced by a Council of arikis, and it must be evident that the introduction into the Council of a European representative ' would materially affect the condition j

laid clown at the time of the cession. For these and other reasons the Minister regretted that the Government was unable t'o comply with the request of the petioners. I understand that the petition was sent not with any special grievance against the present system, but to have the transactions of the Island Council made more public than at present exists. The Europeans, who pay the largest portion of the revenue, have no representation of any kind. There also appears to be two Councils, one being a Federal Council supposed to represent the whole of the Group and the northern Islands, and another local Council for Rarotonga. Every island of the Group has its local Council for domestic affairs, under the presidency of the Resident Agents. It appears that the Europeans wished to have representatives on the local Council which would not interfere with, the conditions of the cession mentioned in the letter of the Hon. Mr. McGowan. At the same time representation in the Federal Council by tho Europeans is perhaps not too much to_ ask. The. Government , appear to give special weight to the said “conditions of cession,” but rumour says that the manner in which the “cession” was obtained should not be too finely looked into. There is little doubt but that had the arikis known at tlie time what the “cession” would como to they would have never have acquisced in tho same—moro perhaps for personal reasons than for the public gain, as there is no doubt hut the annexation of the islands to New Zealand lias been of vital importance to individual natives, more especially in giving them titles to tlieir land, which never existed under the regime of the arikis.