COOK ISLANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1915, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS.

BILL BEFORE THE HOUsE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. "" Wellington, Last Night. On a motion to go into couimiUee on ihe Cook Islands Bill Mr. A. E. Glover said the Bill did not commend itself to j biro, especially clause 0.11; asricultuv.il instruction had been neglected; insul'ucient doctors were provided to watch over the health of people, and a ninn liad becn s fined by a high-paid official, i°2 because he was smoking a cigarette in the street at Mangaia. Was that our boasted British freedom? The admims tration was not .satisfactory, but he hail only been able to touch ihe fringe- nf the subject. Unless the Minister was prepared to meet him, lie would find that to get this Bill, of over six hundred clauses, through committee would be a somewhat difficult matter. Mr. L. M. Isitt said that lie wante 1 information. He wanted to know whether the petition of the natives on the subject of temperance legislation haii been considered by Cabinet. Had lanl legislation been, as promised by the I 'ovcrnor, submitted to the Arikis? Had-a wireless station, so necessary to assist the natives in the fruit trade, been •erected? What was being done to cheek the social evils now prevalent in ilvj Islands, and decimating the people? l)r. Newman regretted that the Government was doing nothing to save the Islands people from extinction. Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill was largely a consolidating one,_and in that sense he had no objection to it, but unless certain amendments were made an anomaly was going to be created in connection with our divorce laws. Five years' residence was' necessary in New Zealand > before divorce could be obtained, but merely two years was necessary in Cook Islands, under this Bill. Hon. Dr. Pomarc: That will be wiped out by amendments. Sir Joseph Ward, continuing, said that be was pleased to hear that, and if the power of the High Court of Raratonga ; n dealing with divorce was limited to natives he would do all in his power to put the Bill through. Hon A. L. Hcrdman said that it wis proposed to prevent Europeans applying for divorce in the Islands; they would have to make their applications before New Zealand courts. Hon. Dr. Pomare eombatted the contention that no proper instruction had be?n given natives in agriculture; a report showed what had been done in that

! respect. The provision made i;i clause, 051, objected to by Mr. Glover, was the only equitable way in which debts could be collected in the Islands. Re the agitation regarding the prevalence of disease, the health ot' the people now w;is better than ever. Land legislation had been, as promised, laid before the Arikis, and he had received their criticism, lie denied that products of the Islands decreased; the revenue had increased a late years from tSUOO to ti 14,0(10. Exports and imports had also largely increased, which was not consistent with decreasing trade. The wireless station was a big,matter, and could not be constructed out of Islands revenue; New Zealand would have to do it. Since medical men had been at the Islands the. social evil had greatly diminished, and it bad practically been cleaned up. The. Bill had been carefully considered by tie: Statutes Revision Committee, and he believed it would contribute greatly to the advancement of the Islands. The House then went into committee on the Bill, and at 3.30 p.m. had passed clause 270. When the House resumed in the evening some formal amendments were introduced in the Bill, on the recommendation of the Statutes Revision Committee. At clause 5,il Hon. A. iL. Hcrdman move! ail amendment having the effect of preventing Europeans petitioning the High Court for divorce, and clause 034 was so amended, on the motion of the Minister, as to prohibit the High Court dissolving the marriage of Europeans. In clause l 607 provision was made for rcgulatiiig i importation of liquor by the Resident Commissioner for public purpot.es. At Clause 008 Mr. Isitt protested thnt no notice had been taken of the petition of natives of Xiue Island in favor oi total prohibition. Dr. Pomare explained that no nati'o i could procure liquor imported for Europeans The Bill was reported to the House from committee, and.the House adjourned, at 0.10 p.m., till Tuesday.