COOK ISLANDS:,'

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 13

COOK ISLANDS:,'

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. (BY TEIEGEArn—MESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, September 17. "The principle of no taxation without representation is supposed to be a fundamental principle," declared a- speaker at a' meeting of Island fruit brokers to-day; "but what about the poor, unfortunate nativos of the Cool; Islands P Those landß are part of tho Dominion, .end the New Zealand Government is imposing a special duty on sugar and 011 calico, etc., imported into tho Cool; Group. 'Supposing the Government put a special tax on certain imports going into Napior or Lyttelton, just imagine tho howl there would be I But tiio Cook Island natives have to stand it and say nothing, and •they have 110 representation ift Wellington. I'm sure the Resident Commissioner at Ilarotonga never asked that this iniquitous tax should be imposed." Another speaker said that New Zealand had caused tho natives more loss over their fruit than would have paid for a line of steamers. The Islanders were far better off before their territory was annexed to New Zealand. They had lost their independence, thoir mana, and everything else, and got nothing but unjust taxation in return.