NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 3 January 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

GERMANY’S LOST COLONIES.

WHAT OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS,

UNCOMFORTABLE SUGGESTIONS

WELLINGTON, Jan 2

The Government has been making representations to the Imperial Government in regard to the strong feeling here as to any proposal to hand back to Germany the islands in the Pacific now held by British forces, also probable difficulties of competing with a leading German firm which has been doing business in these islands — the Deutsche, Handels and Plantagen Gesselschaft Company. Mr Massey, alluding to-day' to the question of New Zealand and'the Island trade, stated that the Government was very anxious that the whole business of the Deutsche Handels Plantagen Gesselchaft Company should be taken over by New Zealanders, and were exceedingly disappointed that only a comparatively small part of it came to the Dominion. The difficulty on the part of New Zealanders had been the uncertainty with regard to the future of the islands—whether they will become British territory in the ordinary sense of the term, or whether, after the war, although they are now in the possession of British troops, the islands will go back to Germany. “Speaking for myself/’ added Mr Massey, “I am confident that with the opening of the Panama Canal these islands will become very important, and British people in the Pacific cannot be too careful to see that mis ; takes such as those which occurred in the past are not repeated ”

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

WELLINGTON, Jan 2

The Conference of the Educational Institute passed a resolution: “That the present method of electing Education Boardsis unsatisfactory.” The following remits were adopted: “That this Institute should endeavour to impress on the public and the Gi\ vernment the great importance of providing improved educational facilities, and that the Government be urged, during 1918, to provide adequate funds for school buildings, playgrounds, a sufficient number of inspectors to enable the work of advising and assisting teachers to be satisfactorily carried out; medical inspection, and free dental treatment for children of public schools; technical school buildings; compulsory continuation classes; the conveyance of children to central additional staffing, and a Worker’s Educational Association.