COOK ISLANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1920, Page 5

COOK ISLANDS.

| CHARGES OF NEGLECT. THE WASTE OF ERtJIT. BETTER SHIPPING REQUIRED. ti Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A report on the Cook Islands was laid on the table of the House of RepreBentatives this evening by Dr. Pomare (Minister in charge of the Islands). Mr. Witty declared that these Islands had been, sadly neglected. He complained that the Cook Island laws passed by the House some years ago had only recently been" translated into the Native language, and it was a grievance with the natives that they did not know what the laws were. The lack of shipping was the greatest act of neglect of which the Government had been guilty. Dr. Pomare: We do not own ships. Mr. Witty: No, but you should own .ships,to give the natives an opportunity to get fruit regularly to the market. Mr. Witty added that compared with Tonga find the Islands under America every one of the Cook Islands was sadly neglected. Mr. Wilford suggested that th» discussion should l>e postponed till members had an opportunity of reading the report.

, Mr. Smith (Tjranaki) said it was to be regretted that though six months had elapsed since the members visited the Islands nothing had been done to meet the wishes of the Islanders and traders. It was an anomaly that while we were starving in New Zealand for oranges, thousands of cases were being destroyed at Rarotonga. Regular shipping was the cure for that waste. We should do as the Australians had done, and provide a properly insulated steamer to carry fruit to the Dominion. Ho considered we had the wrong man as Resident Commissioner at the Islands, as he lacked tact in dealing with those under him. The standard of education reached ia the Islands was disappointing, and altogether the Minister had failed to make the Islands the valuable adjunct to the Dominion they should be. Mr. MeCombs declared that the Cook Islands was the most backward part of the Pacific visited by the Parliamentary party. Mr. Isitt protested against the statements made regarding the lack of education amongst the Islanders, and he thought the work of the teachers was beyond all praise.

Mr. Howard thought that we should get from the British Government some trawlers with engines in them to go from island to island, and then the trading troubles would end. In "reply, Dr. Pomare said the policy of the Government had been to cut their coat according to their cloth. It wouljl be very nice to have telephonic communication all over but that spelt money. Nothing could be done without money, and their desire had been to make the Island as nearly selfsupporting as possible. Rebutting the charges of neglect he. pointed out that during the past Ave years eight schools (including an agricultural school) had been built out of the Island Revenue. New Zealand had spent nothing on school buildings, and in this connection he wanted to thank the London Mis--sionary Society for the generous way in which they met the Government with buildings and sites. The agricultural college, he hoped, would make the pivot of the whole educational system to teach the Islands something useful.. English might be all very well, but it was just as reasonable to upbraid Europeans in New Zealand with not knowing Maori as to complain that RaVotongans did not know English. A water supply had been provided on every Island. Cool storage, telephones, letter boxes, packing stores, a savings bank, hospitals, nurses for the outlying districts, roads, and bridges had all been provided in the Group and yet some hon. gentlemen said there had been nothing but neglect on the part of the Government. , He admitt.d there was a shortage of Shipping, but the question of Stateowned ships was a big one, and had not been satisfactorily settled anywhere. Inter-Island shipping was all very well, but they must remember that after they got their fruit gathered at Raroton'ga they still had difficulty in getting it away from there, so what was the good of advocating wild-cat schemes, and then come back and attack the Minister because these schemes failed. In answer to the charges that Exports from the Islands had fallen off, he claimed that the decrease was during war years, and when shipping had been commandeered. He defended Mr. Plaits (the Resident Commissioner!, who was anxious to do right, and hj? did not know how he could get, a better man ti.an ona who does right, Mr. Plait? was unpopular with the traders because he helped the natives to help -themselves, and did not leave them at the mercy of the! traders. That was the whole [trouble at Raroonga.

Dr. Pomare deprecated the suggestion that the native and the white Children should attend separate schools. He believed their association in tender years created a closer bond than if tliey do not como together till later in life. to giving white traders representation in the Native Council, he could not do it under the terms of the cession until the natives asked for it, unless he tore up a scrap of paper, and he was British enough not to do that when it was binding on both races. He stated a Bill would be brought down this session giving whites representation on the Island Council because the natives now asked for it.

The paper was laid on the table ami ordered to be read. ' OTHER BUSINESS. On the Premier's motion, the amendments made in the Acts Interpretation Amendment Bill by the Legislative Council were agreed to. A Bill to amend the Post and Telegraph Act was introduced by Governor's message. The Bill deals with the rate of interest to be paid by the Savings Bank, also wireless installations. It was read a first time. Several local Bills were reported. The House rose at 12.45 a.to.