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4

COLONIAL REPORTS-MISCELLANEOUS.

Cook ISLANDS, 1899.

REPORT ON THE TRADE PROSPECTS AND SOCIAL
CONDITION OF THE COOK ISLANDS.

I have to report that the trade prospects of this Group show signs of improvement. During my late visit to the outlying islands of the Federation, I found it necessary to comment in strong terms on the fact that at least two-thirds of the area of the Group was practically unproductive, by reason of the fact that the owners of the soil had neglected to plant the coral formation with cocoanuts, and had done comparatively little to improve even the most fertile lands. I also pointed out that, in the event of a hurricane, many of the old cocoanut trees would be destroyed, and, therefore, they would have absolutely no export for the ensuing eight or ten years, since they had no young trees planted to take the place of those that would be destroyed. I cannot say that I expected that any good result would follow my remarks, inasmuch as the Cook Islanders are too easy-going to take into consideration prospective privations or benefits. But I am now in a position to report that my view of the situation has impressed the native owners of the soil to this extent, that they are planting both cocoanuts and bananas in very large quantities, and therefore there is a prospect that at no very distant date the trade of these Islands with New Zealand will be very largely increased, for there is no reason why the export should not be fivefold the present quantity.

I regret that I have to report that the coffee crop of last year, which at one period bade fair to be abundant, has proved almost a failure. Late in the season the treees were attacked by the Ceylon leaf blight, which it would seem was introduced by a Mr. Dodge, who, about the year 1896, imported several hundred coffee plants to this Island; the result has been that Rarotonga is not likely to appear as an exporter of coffee for many years to come, since the whole of the old trees have been killed right out. Fortunately, this blight has not reached the Islands of Mangaia or Aitutaki, but this is of small moment as compared with Rarotonga, since the last-named Island has always exported ten times the weight of coffee produced by the two former. The failure of this important item of export has made it imperative that copra should as much as possible take its place, and, therefore, that cocoanut planting should be encouraged.

There is at present every prospect of a very large orange crop, and I confidently anticipate that the amount available for export will be at least twice that of last year. This is a position that might easily be maintained or exceeded, if the native owners could only be brought to see the necessity for pruning and artificial manures. At the present moment the natural im

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pression on the mind of any stranger would be that orange trees were grown in Rarotonga not so much for their fruit as for timber purposes.

It is a matter for regret that we have a very indifferent class of foreign settlers on the Island of Rarotonga-men from whom the Maoris can learn nothing useful. Of those who have leased land only one man has attempted to improve his property. Others have come here having but little experience of the mysteries of tropical agriculture, but none the less firmly convinced that they could teach the Maoris how to manage their lands. In the case of these men the result has been disastrous, for, having cleared off the shade trees, they now find that they cannot grow either coffee or oranges satisfactorily. This is

an unfortunate result, but it need not have occurred, and I am still of opinion that a man with a small capital could make something more than a living out of twenty acres of fair Rarotonga land, provided always that he was not above learning the methods employed by the inhabitants of the Island. The worst class among the foreign element are, however, the dissipated adventurers and fugitives from other countries. These men are not only of no benefit to the Federation, but they are also a source of anxiety and expense. At the present moment we have a man who was lately manager for the firm of Donald and Edenborough under detention as a dangerous lunatic, with the result that all the charges incidental to his detention fall upon the Federal Government. The evil will not, I fear, end with this man, for the habits of other residents justify the belief that at no distant date they also will become a charge on the Federation. In this climate a man cannot drink with impunity. I need hardly say that the presence of men such as I have described is not calculated to raise the European in the eyes of the Maori. I must, however, exclude the Germans from this class, for they as a rule are industrious, sober men, who attend to their own affairs and give no trouble to the Government under whom they live.

Under present conditions, the only Islands of the Group that are favourably situated for the purposes of trade are Rarotonga and Aitutaki, for they alone are frequently visited by the Union Company's steamer, probably for the reason that these two Islands have good boat passages through the reef, whereas the fertile Islands of Mauke, Atiu, and Mangaia have no boat passages and are completely out of the ordinary course of trade. Indeed, it may be said that they are at the mercy of the Union Company. This fact has been lately demonstrated in a case heard before the High Court of the Cook Islands, in which it was proved that the Company had promised to call at Mangaia for certain cargo and had thereby induced a merchant to supply a hundred tons, mostly fruit, a very large proportion of which they left on the beach to rot, for the simple reason that after promising to take

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COOK ISLANDS, 1899.

COOK ISLANDS, 1899.

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the cargo they simply neglected to reserve space for the same on board the "Ovalau." Under such circumstances the only industry left to the three Islands is the production of copra, for the only trading schooners now belonging to the Group are those owned by Maoris, and they, altogether apart from the uncertainty of the winds, cannot be relied on. I am informed that the firm of Donald and Edenborough are about to employ an oil-engine schooner in the inter-island trade; but this vessel will naturally be used in the interests of the firm, which is equivalent to saying that it will be used against the interests of the inhabitants of the Group.

The possible remedy for this unfortunate state of affairs is that the traders and Maoris shall combine to purchase a large oilengine schooner, that shall not only pay regular visits to the outlying islands, but shall also take occasional cargoes to New Zealand, and as it is clearly the duty of the Federal Government to see that each island has an opportunity of disposing of its produce in the best possible market, such a schooner might be subsidised.

In an Act passed by the Federal Parliament during last session, an attempt has been made to meet the difficulties attendant on the Chili currency. The Act enacts that from and after the date on which it shall come into force, the Chili dollar shall only be worth 1s. 6d., and that it shall cease to be a legal tender after the 1st March, 1900. As, however, the Parliament did not provide the means by which the trade of the country could be carried on, the Act had not been put into force, for it was felt that the possible effect would be to drive the trade to Tahiti, where the Chili dollar is readily accepted. There really was no reason why this Act should have passed, since the Maoris have the matter entirely in their own hands. If they insist upon payment for their produce in British coin, they will receive it, and in this way the Chili dollar may be properly excluded. I venture to say that this course will be adopted.

Since my last report, certain improvements have been introduced into the law relating to leases of land to foreigners. Every lease must now pass the Board of Arikis under the Presidency of the British Resident:-In order that the terms thereof may be ascertained to be equitable to both parties, and above all to prevent complications of title arising after the lessee had expended money on the property. To this end, it is required that the land shall be surveyed before the lease is finally passed by the Board. This measure cannot fail to have a good effect since the title is now assured by the Board, and the Government interpreter guarantees that the English translation is in accordance with the Maori deed, an essential that has not always been the case in the past. The Government is fortunate in having a highly qualified surveyor resident on the Island.

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