OUR ISLANDS DEPENDENCY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15338, 23 July 1915, Page 9

OUR ISLANDS DEPENDENCY.

THE COOK GROUP

HEALTH OF THE NATIVES

(srECIAL TO "THE t'RESS.") WELLINGTON, July 22. ''The health of the natives," states Mr H. W. Northcroft. Resident Commissioner for the Cook Islands, in his annual report, "still remains in .1 most unsatisfactory and deplorable condition For tho islands of Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke. Mitiaro, Aitutaki. Palmorston, Rakahanga, Pcnrhyn and Pukapuka. we «nre doing little or nothing. It is true that I>r. Maclurkin visited thes e islands during this last year, stopping a fow days at each, but his visits wero too short to be of any real benefit. He brought some natives back •with" him and advised others to come to the hospital to be operated on. The health of these islanders demands earnest attention if they are not to bo allowed to die out. Dr. Norman reports that the outlook nr> regards the future of the native race is far from re-assuring. The service of Dr. Norman wero iosfe m May, and meanwhile nothing is being done for the islands other than Rarotonga, where the conditions are steadily going from bad to worse. By the annexation of these islands we have modo ourselves responsible for the health of their native iishabit-ints, and in my opinion we are criminally negligent if we do not adopt sonic more effective measure than has been hitherto taken to endeavour io reduce tlm enormous mass of contagious and infectious disease- now existing. In the interest of our fruit trade, if for no more cogent reason, our medical service must bo improved." THE ISLAXD LAWS. I "Tim so-called island laws," states the Resident Commissioner, "arc still in tho same unsatisfactory state, and 1 can only repeat that something ought to bo j done with as little delay .is possiblo to extricate them from their present chaotic condition. I fear that in the immediate future there will be very serious trouble and much litigation Tinless some measure J3 taken with as little delay as .possible to validate the proceedings of the so-called Land Titles Court sitting during tho period from the 7th February, ISOG. to the 19th August, 1913. During that period there was no properly constituted court, though a largo number of eases wero brought forward and adjudicated upon. I cannot emphasise too strongly ithc imperative necessity of dealing with thig urgent matter as speedily as possible."