FANING ISLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 72, 24 March 1908, Page 2

FANING ISLAND.

interest, !fc'Tnll be--1 remembered, prewrfled in -certain jareleSj ■whenTii became known thai Banning ■Iβ- • Band,. a-British cable-station -in the Tact- - <Sc,-nad been-, purchased- by-a Breneh; - missionary, «»ne two or tnree months einee. The impression then prevailed 'that aeTJarehaser-was simply acting as ' -an-Tintemediary-for Germany, aid that -tansactioh ' w-as-ib'be regained, asr *aavnw--sqme-iisti«cer-eigmi6eance~. This •- Treport'-was stated- at .the time to be -Trithciitionndartidri. The-ieal facts suiS j -..Tonnding the purchase of the island -were this-morning explained to a "Star" • representative by Mr. G. B. Grieg, one of. ihe-erstwhikf owners, now on-a. visit 1-Tto-New Zealand. .£j Island is an .area some ten ' Tniles square, and was owned by th?" • Grieg and Bkknell families. The island His one-of the moat important cable sta?:fions- in+fche-'PaciSe, and apart from this. I- is rich.-inscopra-and qua.no. The sale of 5 the- island -was- ""by tbe High. I Commiadbtter in the. Pacific/the-"pur-j chaser bsmg \Father Hougier, a Erench missionary, ■whose headquarters are at ,Kji. The price paid "was £25,000. -\ ■ A-kL-pt? : -vebafc was tlie actual ' prompting the purchase, Sγ. Grieg re— •jiKed that the transaction had been a. purely business one. The -wag aTCtaaitle property, and that, in Iris-opin-ion, "vsas the sole reason of the parehase. Rtjmtng Island is not situated to ■make a-suitable missionary station, and -there axe no natives there," the labour laving to be imported. The purchase, ie says, has no political or national sig» nificance, and though st present ownai "by a iPrenchman, ie as much a Britislj 3>osse3sion now as it esner ■was. • Mr. Grieg leaves on the 3Jst inst. foi ' Samoa, bat contemplates retaining to •:iA.uek}aiid in the ibear fufere.