THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1908. ISOLATED AND NEGLECTED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9053, 12 February 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1908. ISOLATED AND NEGLECTED.

Complaint comes from far-away Chatbam Islands, which comprise one of the dependencies of this dominion, that the position of the people there is very unsatisfactory. The trouble is that while the inhabitants are under New Zealand laws, they are unrepresented, and have no voice in making the laws and no effective means of making their wants known. To state their in writing to the heads of departments is'useless. Such communica tions are, more frequently than not, pigeon-holed. A correspondent writing to us from Waitangi (Chatham Islands) under date February 3rd, asks, "Why ehould we obey laws that we have had no hand in making?" He goes on to say: —•'There is no local government at all here, so there are no roads, no bridges, no anything that is useful in that direction. It is time, one would think, that we were tacked on to one of the New Znaland electorates, and then we could apply for votes to be spent on our island with some chance of getting them. As it is we are out in the cold, and no one, from Sir Joseph Ward down, seems to be aware of our existence." The suggestion of our correspondent is a reasonable one, and ought to be given effect to. Many years ago strong representu-

tions were made for the representation of the Chathams in Parliament, and, if our memory serves, the Islands were tacked on to the Akaroa electorate. Now, at any rate, the 200 odd white residents and an equal number of Maoris are left politically unregarded. It would be a small boon to attach the Islands to some JSlew Zealand constituency, but one that justice demands, and that would be greatly appreciated. The inhabitants would at least have some one to whom they could address their complaints and requirements, and who could bring their wants before Ministers or air their grievances in Parliament. It is manifestly unfair that they should be taxed in any form without receiving some equivalent. It is to be hoped some member will bring this matter before the Legislature next session, and champion the cause of the neglected islanders who form part and parcel of New Zealand's little Empire.