COOK ISLANDS

THE KING'S MESSAGE

GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S •-■■•"•■-" VISIT

ADDRESSES' TO THE NATIVES,

Duriag ;thd visit of Their Excellencies. Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson to Barotonga, the principal island and seat of Government of the 'Cook' Group, they attended many receptions and functions held in their honour. A full account of these festivities has already; been contributed by various island correspondents, but so far no report of the many : happy • and appropriate speeches which' His Excellency delivered on "these occasions has appeared1 in^ the Now Zealand Press. "The Post- has been fortunato in receiving -the- ; text of several of these .addresses, by a recent mail, * and'jti view.of the fact that this was the first visit of, His Excellency . the Governor-General to the Pacific Islands under-New Zoaland's administration,- readers will no doubt appreciate-.-. the opportunity of knowing_,what, Hia Excellency said.

On arrival at JSarotonga by the Tutanokai, escort'ei by H.M.S. Laburnum, Sir MauiPqmarejMinister-.in-Charge of the Cook; .Islands, welcomed the Viceregal visitors'. "The island of Rarotonga, he said, was in 1901 ceded by tho people .of their own volition to Great Britain,, andithey, had never regretted it. In the Great "War the natives'of the Cook offered men and monoy, and-fo.ught in the cause of tho Empire. That was the evidence of thoir loyalty. The Minister then sketched the progress "of the islands, and alluded to the work which had been done for the welfare of the native people. OOVERNOR-GENERAL'S ADDRESS.

"I have. come" here as a representative of His, Majesty the King,'' said His Excellency, "to bring you his groetings, and -to sco with my own oyos tho conditions! under which you are living so-that"l may make a report to His Majesty, who is always interested in. your, welfare. I bring to you a message,from;.His Majesty which he telegraphed; to pie two days ago. This is tho message:— . • . , His 'Majesty the King desireg on the .occasion of the visit of the Governor-General of New Zealand to the Cook Islands to express his pleasure, at', the opportunity thus afforded him of conveying his greetings to all the people of these islands and of assuring them of his continued care for their well-be-ing and prosperity. "I wish first to express my regret +lmt this visit to Barotonga has been > long delayed; —It had been my inten,.i to come last year, but the illness . .Jl death of the late Mr. Massey, the Prime Minister,' made, that visit impossible. I have, however, come at the earliost.-possible opportunity to see you and to'ifiake'yOur acquaintance. This is my firijt visit to the Cook Islands, for, although my father was Governor of New Zealand fifty-two years ago', at that time there was, Of courso, no occasion or opportunity for him to visit these places; but Her Excellency, who is sitting'"'near me, visited Barotonga with her father Lord Glasgow, whol was Governor of New Zealand thirty-two years- ago. Some of you may remember -Her-: Excellency in those days... I can'assure you that she, on her pHft^h'as~hevei' forgotten'her visit' to Barotonga, and has always spoken with pleasure of that visit and of her desire \(r come again and meet you. I wish 'to--thank you one and all for your very-warm- and kind welcome to us to-day^" We are looking forward to our visit ."'Kerb',' during the next few days, and I know we shall be interested in and shall enjoy all that we see. It is a particular pleasure to me to meet so many; members of the Betufned Soldiers' Association —my comrades, with whom I am proud to «ay I fought during'"the Great "War. The soldiers of New Zealand and of these islands were sectmd to none in courage and officienqy 'and in discipline, and all who served them, all who saw them at the .war, will agree that this is so. "'■••• ■•:.-■' "ONE GREAT FAMILY." "The British^Empiro is made-up of many different*"races, but we are all united as one' great family living under the game tews,: enjoying the same rights and privileges," arid proud to be subjects of the King who rules over us. New Zealand has "always been conspicuous for her "loyalty "to King and Empire, and not only New Zealand but all theso islands have" sh"o"wn the same spirit of devotion ' and, "loyalty whenever they have been called upon. I know well that I could come to'no more loyal corner of the -British Empire than that of the "island of Barotonga. "I wish how to"1 assure you of the interest which New Zealand, which administers these islands, takes in your well-being and prosperity. The Government has many duties and many aims and aspirations.-."lt wishes to give you advice :and -help; on any subject. It wishesrto improve sanitation in the islands so'that-your health may improve. It wishes to give good education to your .! children .so : that they may grow up fit to make their way in the world. It •wishes ,tq:.do all in its power to develop your industries and your trade. And, last of all,-it wishes to assure to each one of you that liberty and frcodom which reigns wherever the British flag flics." Now,,.,in theso matters, fio Government wjs.hes for you to work hand in hand with them. The Government can do much, but in the end it depends mainly on the people themselves to put into practice the advise which the Government gives in order that they may obtain prosperity. You have the natural advantages of an even climate and a fortilo soil. With, these two things and with holp and knowledge and industry added to them, there is no reason'why Barotonga and the Group Islands not continue to increase :tho nymbors of population, iv prosperity,- and in happiness.

• - SELFtSACKXFICE. "One last- thing: You have spoken of^your loyalty-and devotion to your country.-.-There was never a time in the history. of our country when that loyalty and devotion was moro greatly needed' than now. We are passing through very difficult times, and it will take all the goodwill and co-operation of all people in tho Empire to enable ■us to pass through these times with success. ' " " Wd'havo always all of us to remember the lesson'which wo'learnt in the war, and this lesson may bo summed up in the one -.word, 'solf-sacrifice.' Let each oiie"of Us'remember to put our own interests in the background and to work tqgether for the good of all. That is the right way and tho only way in which we can' give real loyalty to our King and to our country. "I shall have nich pleasuro ' i writing to His Majesty the King to say that I have seen you and have spok- to you, and I shall have great pleasure in telling Him of the warm welcome you have givon me am' of tho assurance of loyalty and devotion to himself and the Empire which you have made; and I pray that peace, happiness, and prosperitymay rest upon this island and upon all of you, who dwoll in it. Kia orana kontou.'' . Addresses of welcome were mads to

His Excellency by the arikis and people of the Avarua district, and at Ngaruretu, to which appropriate replies wore made. / • OTHER ADDRESSES. At the unveiling of a war memorial erocted by the returned soldiers of Earotonga in memory of their comrades, the Governor-General said he regarded it as a great honour and privilege to have been asked to perform tho ceremony, for those men to. whose memory it was erected, and thoae who were standing around him now, were his comrades during the Great "War. When the children of those present ' asked them in years to come, "What mean ye by* this memorial!" the answer would bo, "This is to remind us and you of the men who, when the call came, knew thoir duty, and had the courago to^do it." His Excellency also dedicated a Soldiers' Memorial Park, which forms part of the war memorial. In an address to the school children, Sir Charles Fergusson said that when he wrote to His Majesty the King recently and told him about the children of New Zealand, he twice wrote and said how glad he was to hear of the children. "Now, children," continued His Excellency, "we look on-tho King aa a sort of father of the family. He lives ,a long way across tho sea, and he has never seen you, and you have not seen him. I know you would like to send a message to him. I shall tell him—what shall I tell him? That you send your love! I am quite sure that all of you, right down to the little ones, would like to send! him ypur love. Now, what do wo mean by singing 'God Save the King'? When we sing 'God Save the King' it means that we are loyal to the King,, arid that means we wish to work for and serve him, and do something for our country." : ■ ■