NEW ZEALAND'S UNIQUE EXPERIMENT—

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9605, 21 December 1896, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND'S UNIQUE EXPERIMENT—

1890 to 18%. [By Mb, F. J. Moss, British Residekt AT RaRATONOA.] After a passage of sixteen days the little Torea sighted Mangaia, and called there on her way to Raratonga, whore she arrived on 18th November, 1890. Notice was given that a meeting would bo held on her return from that island with Pearse and the other persons concerned. The people of Mangaia were in great ferment, and divided into two extremely bitter parties. That in the ascendant was known as the Mission House party and included the all-powerful Police. The Missionary openly supported this party aa the upholders of order and "the authorities of the land." The other party was numerous but unorganised and powerless. Ab its head stood the Ariki (King John) who had objected to the proceedings from the first. He had, therefore, been fined as a breaker of the law. Worse still, the rule had always been that those who broke the law should be suspended from Church membership till atonement had been made. King Johu had therefore been suspended by the Native Church Committee with the sanction of the missionary. As none but church members could hold office his suspension brought dethronement and ho stood there a dethroned King accordingly. Only they who know how the whole life of the Maori is absorbed in church matters can appreciate the weight of the punishment which loss of membership inflicts. By King John it was keenly felt, but he held out manfully and had with him the powerful Chief of Ivirna (also suspended), with others of less note and a great number of the people. The last were of little avail. The dread of the police was upon them and the difficulty t>f getting even the least information inoredible. The large store and goods were in oharge of two Europeans sent by Donald and Edenborough from Raratonga, but no bueiness could bo done as constant watoh was kept and any Native attempting to deal was promptly fined 100 dollars for the offence. The laws of Mangaia were made by assemblages of. "the authorities of the land," hastily called together, without order of procedure or record, and without recognition of any limit except their'own win. The expulsion of Pearse had been hastily deoided upon at such a meeting and as hastily enforced. Their laws were of an exceptionally antiquated kind. Sabbath observance and sorcery, the tattooing of love marks on each other's arms and the prohibition of all intoxicating liquor, the crying after a dead woman not a near relation, and similar offences, were visited with penalties payable in money or in good? which all became perquisites of the Judges and police. The Code was prurient in conception and childish in provisions, such a code as might be looked for in" a primitive and polygamous people. Men and women were all confined to their houses at sunset by beat of drum and were - visited at all hours by the police to Boe,tb* law obeyed. After sunset, no one mart be outside unless bearing a lighted torch and able to give good excuse.' Traders had been allowed to land and Bell goods, bat not to eettle on the island. Donald and Edenborough were the first wiw had succeeded in establishing a store. They were quickly followed by another, and the "authorities/ , getting alarmed, determined to put an end to such invasions. Henoe the trouble. The European missionary at that time had been twenty -five years in Mangaia. His will was absolute, tut hie Civil responsibility nil. His sapporfewf the aucendant party was open and vigorous. Tα complete the picture, a peculiar law inflicted heavy penalties for making lying statements. This law proved an effective check to com* plaints, the truth or falsity of wbioh the police were to decide. The methods adopted for detection were also peculiar. People going on board a trading vessel, for instance, would be met on their return, drawn up in line and each ordered to blow into the face of a passing policeman to ascertain if hie breath savoured of gin or whiskey, for the mere drinking of which the law provided penalties rigidly enforced.. On the Torea's return from Raratonga to Mangaia a meeting of the natives was duly convened. When they assembled it was found that the " authorities " had refused to send word to Iviraa or to allow its chief or people to attend. They had ceased to he Church members and were not eligible to . take part in public affaire. King John and , bis party were refused a hearing on 4&e same ground. There was violent ttproar and a meeting so constituted was useless. The "authorities" were informed that Donald and Edenborough and Pearse were both willing to waive *11 claim 'for compensation if the store and goods were formally restored and a pledge given that no such interference would again occur. They were advised to .settle amicably while there was yet time, and ware warned that when the writer came back with due power they would be fined heavily if they had not settled and were found to be in the wrong-.. There was much angry discussion and the uproar grew loader. Mr Chalmers, who kindly acted as interpreter, in vain urged them to some settlement, aad the meeting broke up without result. Renewed efforts at settlement, that night, proved equally fruitless and next day tie *-~ Torea left to visit the other islands. .Suffice. ' it to say that full enquiry was held a lew months later and damages of MOOdole were awarded to Peatse and to repay the outlay of salaries during the six or seven, months that the store had been closed. This fine, after many protests and threats of resist-' tance, was ultimately paid. It was an unfortunate beginning, as the new Britieh Resident was thus brought into collision with the Mangaia people, but to make them clearly comprehend the serious consequences which the forcible expulsion o£ » European involved, w«a imperative. On returning to Raratonga, the Chief* of that island met several, times in Council, . to consider their great trouble with .regard to .intoxicating liquor. The law .had .long been total prohibition, feafc wee clearly opposed to public opinion. No wechinery was provided for execution, nor could any but well paid Eurqpeaa officiate We been depended upon. The Uw had fallen into complete desuetude; At no fewer than nineteen houses and shanties ia this email community liquor was being openly sold. Fourteen quarter casks of rum had been openly landed on the beach ja few days before, and drunken men and women were .con- \<' Btantly seen. Some of the .traders wtttaed this stopped. Others declared that hqoor aecwtly made in the bush, from-orwjgf*

cause. The Council admitted the latter to be one of the causes, but secondary to imported liquor. The writer explained that tie had no authority to interfere, but was so strongly pressed for advice that he agreed to give the matter full consideration. The Council was definite on two pointe, that they had lest faith in prohibition and that any law should apply equally to Europeans and Maoris. The outcome was a law of novel kind. All liquor then in the island, or which might hereafter be imported, was to be placed in custody of a European official whose position was made independent by his being removable only upon a special Act of the Council approved by the British Resident. No liquor was to be drunk on the premises. Any person wishing to buy was to get from the Licensing Officer a permit. Armed with this he could buy from whom he liked, and the seller would endorse upon the permit an authority to the Licensing Officer to deliver the liquor from his stock in, what was called, the Bond. Certain fees were to be paid and to form part of the local revenue of Raratonga. As to Maoris, before getting a permit from the Licensing Officer they were to obtain written authority from the Ariki of the district. This law was finally passed on 24th December, 1890, is still in force and hae worked well. A drunken native is very rarely seen in the settlement, bat the trouble is still with the bush beer, secretly made and as secretly consumed. To put down this practice has been found impossible, and it is questionable whether the evil would not be less if the people were permitted to make and drink it openly, as with cider in England. The trouble in the secret manufacture is that they have often to leave the liquor till the first fermentation is past. The liquor is then said to be most injurious in its effect. In 1891 the writer received full instructions ac British Resident from Lord Onslow, Governor of New Zealand, and returned to Raratonga, where he assumed office on 22nd April, 1891, A proclamation from Lord Onelow, dated in Auckland 4th April, was published at the same time, announcing that, for the present, British authority would take the form of a protectorate, that the British resident had been appointed by the Queen, and that he would advise and assist the natives in the government of their country. The proclamation also announced that hereafter no laws would be valid without the Resident's approval. On the 28th April H.M.S. Goldfinch arrived with instructions to take the Resident round the group. The difference between the reception accorded to an official introduced as passenger in a small trading schooner like the Torea, and the same official in one of her Majesty's ships was marked. The opportunity was apparent for taking the first step in forming the Legislature and Government, without which a public revenue and any hope of progress were impossible. Even at Mangaia all went well, the miseionary acting as interpreter and explaining folly a written invitation from the Resident to send delegates to Raratonga to meet him on or after the 23rd May to form a Government for the Cook Islands. On the 4th June, 1891, the delegates met. Every island was represented and a Constitution of the simplest kind was submitted to them and adopted. It provided for a Federal Parliament, to consist of three members from each island, with the exception of Atiu Mitiare and Maube, which should count for one, as the two latter had in olden days been conquered by and incorporated with the firstnamed. The Parliament was to be strictly Federal and to deal only with matters of concern to all. For the rest, each island was to have complete control of its own affairs and to elect its three Federal members m any way it might prefer. A fixed eubflidy of £45 was to be given yearly to each island as its share of import duty. Aβ to the Executive, the jealousies of Arikis and of tribes rendered it necessary that all Arikis should be members, but as chief of the Government for life, the Parliament, after much trouble, elected Makea Pakau, the Ariki of Ivarua. Her high rank and position, marked ability and strong character made the choice fortunate, and a better chief could not be desired. As few of the other arikis are, at one time, in Raratonga, or within hail, when an Executive meeting is to be held, their number makes no difficulty, and the Executive hae worked well.

The next step was to provide a revenue, and an import duty of 5 per cent, was levied on, all imports, without distinction. A tariff would have involved safeguards against evasion, and rendered necessary a department too expensive in proportion to the imports. As it is, one officer, giving part of hie time, can collect the duty. To avoid the cost of a Treasury, an arrangement was made with ' Donaldand Edenborough tooctas bankers, the revenue is paid in to them, and cheques drawn in return. A Federal Court- to enforce federal laws was established, and a final Act gave fnll power to the Government to open a Post Office, appoint revenue and other officers at the other islands, to build a Parliament House, and to do all things necessary for the following two years. The delegates had thus made full use of the powers with which they were entrusted. A Legislature was established, an Executive created and a revenue provided. On their return to their respective ielands strong efforts were made—at Mongaia especially— to prove the whole proceedings wrong. It was held that they should have come back to consult their constituents before finally accepting the constitution. The reply was that the delegates were sent expressly to organise a Government on terms expressed in the written agreement previously made with each island, and that reference back to those who sent them must have meant total failure. The European inhabitantsacquiesced in the new order of things. The import duty was recognised and paid. The expenses for the year were kept at the lowest point. The Post Office was opened and the sale of postage stamps proved an unexpected and welcome source of supply. The year passed and the Parliament met again. The members were delighted to find a sum of 2500 dollars at their, command, after providing for all departmental expenditure and fixed subsidies. The Forms of the House were simple. The only Standing Order was that members must address the chair, and not each other. The House met at * thne and place fixed by the Constitution. A Chairman was eleoted for the year, and waited on the Chief of the Government to receive an opening Speech prepared by the Government. Previous feasting was discarded, and a rule to decide by the majority adopted— two points simple enough to us, but in direct opposition to ancient tradition.and established practice among the Maoris. No provision was made for going into Committee, bet members adjourned to discuss matters informally when necessary. So apt did they show themselves, that the President advised repeal of the Provisional Powers Act of the previous session, and that the Parliament should take all power to itself. This was done, and detailed estimates were accordingly framed, and an Appropriation Act passed. When the eeseion ended the form of prorogation was •a simple as the rest. The laws that had been passed were submitted to the Chief of the Government by the President when sent to him for approval. On her signing them, the President met the Parliament and gave the.laws his formal approval. Speeches were then made and the session ended. So it was at the first and so it has continued since.

In the years that have followed, a good (leal has been done. Additional aid has been given to Local Governments from the surplus of the Federal revenue. A Federal flag has been adopted, is recognised by the Admiralty and used, after much demur, by the trading vessels belonging to the different islands instead of the fancy local flac under which both had previously sailed. A convenient Parliament House has been built at Baratonga, and the jealousies and struggles over the seat of Government have th*u» been brought to an end. An efficient postal service has been organised, thanks to toe aid received from the Postal Department m New Zealand. A convenient hospital has been built from revenue and an import duty of 1 per cent, levied for its support. The hospital has since been handed over to an elective Board, half of Europeans and half of Maoris. The suffrage has been given to all persons without distinction over twenty one years of age and whohaveresided lor twelve months in the Cook Islands. Any Europeans caring to sit in the Parliament would be weloomed by the Maoris if their confidence were gained. They have •hown this readiness on other occasions, and, lately, in a marked manner by at once agreeing to the mixed character of the Hospital Board. But they object to separate representation of separate nationalities as j creating permanent division, an objection in which they were supported by the Resident at the time. Peace aad order are main-

tamed, and the authority of the Federal Government has been, asserted on more than one difficult occasion. The most important was, perhaps, the extradition of a half caste who had fled from Tahiti after embezzling 2000 francs in the Government office in which he was employed. He h<*d found his way to Atiu and, his wife being highly connected there, he was hidden away and his surrender absolutely refused. The Atiu people were rightly told that there was no extradition treaty with the Cook Islands and upon this they took their stand. The Resident on the other hand insisted that they must be bound by their British connection and not become a nuisance to their French neighbour. In the end the runaway was sent to Raratonga and, after hi 3 case had been thoroughly investigated, was sent to Tahiti for trial. A delicate dispute with our French neighbou>B was thus averted. The Atiu chiefs who had secrete i him were fined and made to pay the cost of the schooner which the Federal Government had three times chartered and sent to Atiu to receive him.

Among the other good works of the Federal Parliament must be specially noted an annual subsidy of £125 to the London Missionary Society towards the support of its excellent training and boarding school at Raratonga, in which the teaching is entirely in English. There is also the supply of school fittings and furniture to local government schools established for English teaching, and of which three, with a roll of 340 j children, have availed themselves in Rara- j tonga. The unstable Chili coin which j formed the only currency in 1890 was superseded by British coin in 1894 so far as the Government is concerned and is now the only legal tender. In the absence of any means of keeping up the supply of British money the Chili dollar is still current with traders and people at 2s, bjUt the Government accounts are kept in British currency and British coin only is taken for payment of duty or dues. In recognition of the difficulty, two months' credit for duty is given to importers to enable them to get British money. Failing that, Government notes have been provided to be advanced at the rate of Is 8d to the dollar. The dollars are to be exported by the Government and sold for British mouey at the expense and risk of the person to whom the advance has been made. The notes are to be retired with the proceeds, but importers have preferred importing their own British money and the notes, though useful in reserve, are still unissued and likely to be so. Chief, however, of all benefits are the sense of personal freedom, the increased selfrespect, the wider views, the softening of tribal jealousies, and the spirit of progress which the meetings of members from all the islands in Parliament have done much to produce. The people have learned the benefit of method in finance and of union in action, and the need of providing machinery to carry out laws instead of leaving them to fall dead at birth. They are plainly acquiring a certain degree of public spirit and a sense of public duty, and are learning to distinguish between matters to be dealt with by law and those which should be left to individual conscience. They have learned that the Church and the State are distinct, and that fitness or position in one is not to be regarded as necessarily implying fitness for the other. These may appear small gains, but will be appreciated by all who have had te deal with native races. " Your Raratongans," said a Tahitian lady to mc lately, " seem so much more ambitious than our people." That really sums up the change that has taken place, and the new life and new ideas which the responsibility of self-government for even these short five years has developed. The revenue has answered all expectations and been quite equal to the modest demands for government. Last session the appropriations reached £1742, which included a surplus of £264 from the previous year, a considerable rise from those for the year ending 30th June, 1891, which were only £646. The import duty continues, with the Post Office, to be the only source of revenue. There is no poverty but neither is there any accumulation of wealth, and heavier taxation would be severely felt. Finally credit may be taken by the Government for the establishment of a very useful little weekly paper the Torea, published in English and Maori, and for the first year by Neocyclistile, which also, by the bye, has been till last year the only means of publishing the laws. A year ago a small printing press was imported by the Government and leased, with the power of purchase at prime cost at any moment, to a gentleman who then published the Torea in print, and took upon himself its full responsibility. So much for the Federal Government. Turning to the separate islands it may first be said that any attempt to govern them or to interfere with their affairs from any centre must have rendered all government impossible. Aβ it is each is developing itself in its own way and at its own pace. The most advanced is naturally Raratonga, which has a Council, Execntive and regular revenue, partly from licensing permits and partly its Federal subsidies, but also from direct taxes on the frontage value of all lands and a capitation tax for the support of the schools. These are the first direct taxes levied in the Cook Islands and mark a great advanoe. They were only obtained after a sharp and continued struggle. The Council wished to adhere to the old "voluntary" system of raising money, which meant that the chiefs would undertake to find it but make the people pay. The Resident refused to sanction this, and insisted on public tax lists in which the names of all who have to pay should be stated, and the accounts audited in regular course by the Government Auditor. The chiefs who did or wished to do the collecting of the tax objected strongly to a man being put over " to look after them," but have at last acquiesced, and there is hope of this new advance being permanent. Mangaia and Aitutahi have also established local governments, but only Aitutahi has legalised a direct tax for public schools, and time has not yet been given to prove how it will work on the collection.

In all of the islands one great reform has been effected. The old police have been abolished and a new police formed, who with the Judge of the Ariki Courts, are regularly paid from the local revenue. The change could only be brought about as funds for Spying the salaries became available. In angaia for example, in 1892 when a Government was formed, it was ordered that the police should be registered and formally appointed by the new Government, to which alone it shouid be answerable and under whose orders it should be placed. Tha population of Mangaia, all told, cannot much exceed 2000. Yet, will it be believed, that 155 were then formally registered as the existing active police of the island? For two yearsthishadtobeborne,bnt the opportunity came at last. On paying a casual visit in a trading vessel to Mangaia, the Resident found it in great ferment. An edict of the Government had gone forth and in each trader's store two of these police were placed from morn tyi night to see that the natives dealing there behaved honestly and were treated honestly in return. This was the ostensible reason. The real reason was freely said to be a levy of blackmail from the natives as they received the value of the produce which they took for sale. The Resident at once called a public meeting and asked by what right they had made a law without his approval. About 400 were present, but among them were the bulk of the police. The people were literally cowed and the case seemed hopeless. Happily, in compiling their account of the laws in force before the history of the flag—and which were still recognised, they had said nothing about police. Taking advantage of this omission the Resident declared at the meeting that the police would no longer be regarded as a lawfully constituted body, that a law must be passed creating a police, that the law must be approved by him, that he would not consent to more than twelve for the island, and that the federal subsidy would be increased so that they could be regularly paid. For a week the contest raged. The 155 police, who it must be added bore a very bad character for morality, felt that their position and privileges were at stake, but behind them were the people secretly eager for their downfall. At last the Council reported that they had agreed. On being asked to put their work into writing it appeared they had agreed that there should be only twelve for the white men (about six in number altogether) but that they would not do with a less number than the present for the Natives ! Finding this could not do they ultimately gave way. A law was passed and the police were reduced to twelve. For many months the old police wandered about, spying and prying in the old way and levying blackmail where they could, but they no longer had law on their side. Mangaia, like Raratonga and Aitutaic, has now it» twelve police and they are more

than sufficient for the work to be done. Had the Council continued obstinate it would have been quite safe to leave the Judge* to maintain order with a few people at their command, and it was the knowledge that this would be done which made the Council finally give way. It was also provided that all fines should* be kept separate and devoted to public works, and that on no account should they hereafter be paid to Judges or police under any pretext or in any way. In the other islands similar changes were made. All are now more or less alive and with a small police. The great difficulty is to find natives trained to a sense of responsibility or able to fill any public office. That" is one of the difficulties we must look to the schools to overcome. Happily, in Raratonga, there was found a high Chief, Vakatini, more widely known as Tepou o te Rangi, of brain, heart, character and experience that have anabled him to fill with credit the high offices of Judge of the Federal Court and Judge of the Arikis' Court of Avarua, to preside over the meetings of Parliament and of the Raratonga Council, and to render good public service in a variety of ways. He is now engaged in efforts to assist in obtaining a wiser settlement and. fixed title for occupants of the land. His son Makeu Damela has also proved an efficient Paymaster and Clerk to Parliament and Government in Federal affairs, and has done good work in the local government of Raratonga. The foundation has been laid, and the progress made in five years gives the encouraging hope that, if reasonable time be allowed, ! we shall see under the British flag a Maori people capable of extending British influence and of talking a leading position in the numerous tropical islands of the Eastern Pacific and in New Guinea. That is the end at which their Government aims, and experience warrants the belief that it is an end which can be attained. The only alternative is to create a British colony which would mean the establishment of British law, and the consequent necessary administration by British officers. The Maori is not yet fit for such work and would have to be set aside. The process of evolution would be arrested and ultimate extinction from degeneracy be his fate. Between the two prospects few who have had to deal with this kindly and in many respects noble race will hesitate to choose. In thus reviewing the work of the last six years much has necessarily been omitted, and detail has been avoided as far as possible. Sufficient, it is hoped, has been said to show that some progress has been made, but the greatest work of all is yet only in inception. An independent tenure for enough land to save every Maori family from actuaF want, and a measure to make that land the inalienable property of the family, have been frequently submitted to the land owners with whom the decision rests. They at first received the proposal as an attack on their rights and on the power which their land gives. But Tepou o te Rangi has always taken the wider view, and the proposal has so far gained ground that there is reasonable hope of its settlement within another year- That accomplished the people may be well left to obtain comforts and luxuries by their further labour. They will be secured from want and have always a home. Once that this reform is accomplished- the desire to see the unoccupied land profitably settled will be sure to arise among its owners. With this great question : settled, with their free Englishteaching schools, and with their free government, the Maori people of the Cook Islands will have good reason to bless their connection with Great Britain, and to be for ever grateful to the Government and the people of New Zealand.