THE COOK ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 981, 23 November 1910, Page 5

THE COOK ISLANDS

MORE ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION. PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. MEDICAL. OFFICER CRITICISED The latest' news by. mail from Rarotonga serves to throw some light on certain of the recent allegations which were published in Tire Dominion a little while ago, as the result of ail interview in Wellington with Mr. Rupert V. Hosting, dentist, of liarotonga. Correspondence received in Wellington .recites various incidents which make it appear that the Administration is under strong criticism id certain quarters.

A Witness for a Signature. _ Here is a story, duly signed and attested in the original, of methods at Karotonga. iho .narrator, accompanied by another man, went to- a ecrtain person to have liis companion's signature to a certain potation duly witnessed. The person applied to refused,. point-blank, to witTifss tho signature, although asked twice to -do so. The two then went along to a Justice of the Peace, who also refused to witness the signature, saying that "his conscience told him he should do so, but owing to.his friendship with the-subjcct J • # P e tition, he preferred uot to do •so. 'As to whether these two gentlemen were within their rights in refusing to act as witnesses, I know, not," continue? narrator. "But, *to Say the least, their 'actions look as if every obstacle "were to be put in- our way j as if they did not want anyone opposed to tho Government doctor to get any help, or even iair play,'J. . .

, The Doctor and the Natives, The medical service, at Barotonga was the subject of a petition presented to Parliament by Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. for Wellington South, yesterday. Enclosed was a copy of a. letter addressed to Captain J. Eman Smith, Resident- Commissioner, Rarotonga, and signed by 1130 natives and others. It states that the present doctor and medical officer (Dr. Chesson) does not enjoy the conndcnco of the petitioners, who declare that they do not like him and that few or any of thera will go near the hospital. It continues: "This gentleman draws some. .£IOO a year, and has a free house, and what doe3'he do for it or for us? Nine to eleven , a.m. are the hours for tho natives to, attend the hospital,, and he positively refused to do anything-out of those hours. There; are over 2000 natives in Rarotonga, and how can the eick' among them bo attended to in, 6ay, a couple of hours per day? We are drifting back to the condition of affairs prior to the arrival of Dr. Dawson, whom, we desire and want' to bo our doctor,' for he is one of the few resident doctors, here frho seems to recognise his' duties, and who all along has done his very:best for us. Wo do not want. Dr. Chesson. We want Dr. Dawson, and ,tho sooner ho is reappointed to the hospital and is again made medical officer the better pleased we shallbe. We would remind you that the appointment of Dr. Chesson was never approved by Rarotonga Island Council,* and surely it should have some eay in the matter.' The hospital is idle, and the doctor is also'idle. For what, then, are wo,paying, say, ittQO per annum, and gmng a free house? This state of things should end, and at once. We will not go to Dr. Chesson," and we want Dr. Dawson back again in his old position. There is a very bad sickness hers how, and very few of tho sick people went , to tho hospital because they do not like Dr. Chesson's manners or tho way ho treats us, We understand that one of the Teasons for Dr. Dawson's resignation .. was that certain things ho wanted in tho doctor's private residence were, not given to ,him. Wo .now understand that these things havo been given to Dr.' 'Chesson; and also' more things than Dr.'DaVsori"'askcd'f6r." . Complaints against Dr. CKe'sson are set out in attested statements as under— V

Tvo. 1 is that on; or about the month o£ August,. 191.0, between the hours of 9 to 11 a.m., H. Wichman,of ths. settlement of Arorangt, went to get Tiim to go ( and seo a very sick native woman at Arorangi, suffering from paralysis, but ho'.absolutely refused to go. and'told'Wichman'that he would not work on' Sundays, .and that if Wichman wanted him to go and attend to the sick woman he would have to-come and get him . another day. I Dr. - Chesson (it is added) has never been to cee to this sick woman to this day.

No. 2 complaint is that on or about the month of July 10, -between the hours of 9-and 10 a.m., Ngaakapi, of-tho settle-, ment of Arorangi, was brought in to Avarua for treatment at' the hospital by Dr. Chesson, but the day being Sunday, Dr. Chesson; was not at the hospital, so Ngaakapi was taken to the doctor's privato residence. Dr. Chesson was asked to come out and see Nga&kapi, who was suffering froma very painful boil on his side. When Dr. Chesson ..catqe out lie was very angry with Ngaakapi, and told him that bo was not_ going to treat him,, as 'it was against his, rule to work on Sundays, and told r-Ngaakapi' to come again to the hospital on the Monday, but Ngaakapi asked-Dr. Chesson-to lance the boil, as it was giving him a great deal of pain.. Dr. Chesson.then went-to get liis instrument and lance tho toil right where he was lying in the buggy on the main road. .; ■■ • No. 3 is that-on or about the.month of July, 1910, Parakoti attended the hospital on -three different occasions, and wa3 at the hospital at the hour of 8 a.m. on each occasion, but lia Had to wait at the pital till past 10 a.m. on*:.each occasion before Dr. Chesson arrivod at the ;hospital. The resident .doctor here is supposed to attend the hospital from-. ?! to 12' a.m. every day, and yet ho docs not keep to these hours. ' ' Mr. "Wright asked if the House could accept a petition' from, the natives ot Cook Islandfe. The Premier: How could wo inquiro into it; we could not have the evidence "Mr. Massey: That should,not prevent it being Teferred to the Native Affairs Committee. . ' , , : ' . The petition was nccepted, and referred to the Native Affairs Committee.