LIFE ON NIUE ISLAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 10 April 1911, Page 3

LIFE ON NIUE ISLAND

THE COMMISSIONER INTERVIEWED. > There is at present on a visit to Christchurch, Mr. H. G. Cornwall, Resident I Commissioner of Niue, who is enjoying four or five months' leave of absence in this country. Mr. Cornwall, who has been in the New Zealand Civil Service for about 30 years, was transferred to the Islands' service about five years ago, and about three and a-half years ago was appointed to his present position in succession to Mr. C. F. Maxwell, the first Commissioner, who resigned. In speaking to a Press representative, Mr, Cornwall said he wished to clear up a misapprehension wmch appeared to exist in this country that Niue was part of the Cook Group. As a matter of fact it was an isolated island some 000 miles to the west of the Cook Group, between those islands and the Friendly Group. Formerly it had been administered from Rarotonga, but in 1903 legislation had been passed by the New Zealand Parliament authorising separate administration Niue. The island, lie said, boasted a population of 4000 natives and 30 whites (including children). The whites engaged in general trading, the principal article of export being copra. Alofi, a town of one thousand inhabitants, was the principal village, and the seat of Government on the island. There were no newspapers, and none of the usual amenities of social life to be had in larger centres, but the life was very interesting. Mails arrived at the island usually every six weeks or two months, and then there were generally two sack-loads of newspapers for him to read. Mr. Cornwall is Collector of Customs, Postmaster-Gen-eral and Resident Magistrate, in addition to being Resident Commissioner. The natives, he .says, are a shade lighter in color than the Maoris, Their language in not known outside their own island. It is more closely allied to the Tongan and Samoan than to the Maori.