COOK ISLAND ADMINISTRATION

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 220, 16 September 1919, Page 9

COOK ISLAND ADMINISTRATION

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Referring to the report of the Resident Commissioner of the Cook. Islands, extracts of which you published in your issue of Thursday last, I would be obliged if you would allow mc space in your columns to reply to some of the statements of Mr. Platts dealing 'with trade matters. As a resident of Rarotonga for the past eleven years, holding a responsible position with a trading firm, and witli a. personal knowledge ot I all the other islands in the group, I feel, that I have the right to express an opinion on the questions dtialt with in the report. Mr. Platts, in his report, uses strong terni3, and I therefore feel compelled to reply in the same strain. Mr. Plntts by hislanguage shows how very strongly he feels in regard to' the supposed combine that exists in Barotorigii. Mr. Platts says that during the past two years there have been repeated complaints by natives of the operation of combines, and from the general tone of the report one would naturally suppose that the Administration was satisfied' that the complaints of the natives were j justified. It is a principle of British law that a prisoner is innocent until he is proved guilty, but evidently Mr. Platts was quite satisfied to listen to the complaints of the natives, though he never considered it necessary to approach tho traders and ascertain whether there were any grounds for complaint. Presumably Mr. Platts was quite able to pass judgment on the traders without giving them an opportunity of disproving the claims of the natives. Of course it must be admitted that Mr. Platte ha; ability, for he has the degrees of LL.B. and 8.A., and before accepting his pro-: sent position he was Mayor of Port dial- i mors, but even so it may lie suggested that Mr. Platts has no knowledge of business, and especially of Tfiland trading,; New Zealand fruit trade, and the copra' markets of the world. Mr. Platts in his report holds the traders responsible for the recent rioting, but it 'would be only fair and just to the traders it the reports of the military officers in command of the returned soldiers were published. I am certain the traders then would not need to take any other steps to vindicate themselves. In view of Mr. Platts' statement it is strange that the European residents were enrolled principally to protect the gaol and Government bond. The traders claim that this feeling of their exploiting the natives has only arisen during Mr. Platts' tenure of office. No doubt Mr. Platts is sincere in his opinion that the natives have not received enough for their fruit and copra, but at any rate it is no exaggeration to say that lie appears prejudiced and biassed, and has always shown antagonism towards the traders. Tho charges of the Resident Commissioner are mainly levelled against three well-known reputable business houses of Auckland, and in common fairness a commission of inquiry ehould be appointed to enable them to refute the statements of the Commissioner. —I am, etc -» _-,^:v::,^.,_■,-... H- FISHER.