THE COOK ISLANDS ADMINISTRATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1111, 26 April 1911, Page 4

THE COOK ISLANDS ADMINISTRATION.

LETTERS TO THE ACTINGPREMIER. A DILATORY MINISTER, [To tho Editor.] Sir,—ln view of the public interest that is taken in Cook Island affairs, I forward you .herewith, for. publication, copies of two letters that I have addressed to the Hon. .las. Carroll, Minister-in-Gharge of the Cook Islands. You will observo that one letter is dated April 7, 1911, and the other April 18, 1911. Up to the present I have been unable to obtain a reply.—l am, etc., R, A. WEIGHT. '■-■• ' ; (Copy.) '': • ■ • Wellington, April 7th, 1911. Hon. Jas Carroll, . Minister-in-Chargo of the Cook Islands, Wellington. - .Ro Cook Manda Administration. .Sir,~J)nring last session of Parliament I drew the attention of the House of Representatives to the dissatisfaction existing amongst many of the residents of Ravotonga regarding the administration of affair's"at' tho,Cook Islands by tho present Resident Commissioner .(Captain James Eman Smith), and asked that a.Royal Commissioner should be appointed 'to inquire into matters. I. have seen by tho local papers that.Mr. F. -.Waldegravo, Under-Secretary for Justice and Commissioner of Police,, has been appointed ~to proceed to .ltaratonga .to -investigate.'tho whole of the. trouble that is apparently existing, and report to. you. On behalf 'of some of the residents I wish to submit the. following as covering some of the charges against the administration of the Islands by the Resident Commissioner (Captain Smith):—

1. (a) That the hospital at Rarotonga, a Government institution, was' officially announced in the Cook Islands Gazette as opened as from the 9th day of April, 1910. Nino months later, on the 31st January, 1911 a Dr. Dawson, a medical practitioner in private practice at Rarotonga, wrote to the Resident Commissioner asking if the hospital was ready to -receive patients for surgical treatment, and stating that he,had a. patient! requiring immediate' surgical treatment. .'-That the--Resident Com-! missione'r replied' in writing that so far as ho was aware the hospital was ready to receive patients for surgical. treatment. That Dr. Dawson, then wrote asking whether the Acting-Medical 'Officer (Dr. Story) would admit to the .hospital for treatment a case of cancer of the breast for immediate operation; a case of suppurating appendicitis,- and a case of ischierectal abscess.. The patients in each case wero .Natives. That the Resident Commissioner replied in writing on'Bth February, 1911, intimating . that he had referred the correspondence to Dr. Story, who stated that lie thought the question had better, bo left over for the Chief MedicalOfficer (Dr. .Chcsson), who was absent in .New Zealand, to deal with on his return, that this was the best courseto: pursue; Ho -also mentioned -that Dr. Story was'biily acting temporarily for; Dr..Che"sson, .absent on sick leave, and that', ho expected Dr.. Chcsson to return - ' on lfith February,. 191 L That Dr, Chos-.. son did not return on ,16th February,: and in the meantime one of the patients named Tau died.-.-■.. ..:.- •>-■! '■ '(b) That, although tlie -hospital: hasbeen . gazetted as open ' to receive. paticnte^.•3ilToe' , April-9//1910, and a-siimt of. about.£2soo has been .expended .oil it •and.'the medical-officer's residence,; yet the hospital X almost bare of furniture -.and-'.necessary fittings. , ; ■-.., (c) That no drainage system has been installod at the, hospital, and (at the time of writing) the bath has hot been connected with- the. water . supply, although .the hospital.lias been officially open, for nearly twelve months. (d) That no'provision has been, made for.tho services of a trained nurse. . ■•

. (c) That no provision has been made for ..the immediate reception .of-any Urgent case, such as one resulting froiriau-, accident, no bed, being kept .ready for the reception of. a patient. ■ (f) That although the Administration is..paying a medical officer £400 per year, with right of a free residence,-, yet very few patients are attending at the hospital for free treatment, preferring to he treated by Dr. Dawson privately. This heavy expenditure out of the funds of the islands is a wasteful expenditure not justified by results.. . 2. That the Resident. Commissioner (Captain Smith), in Jiis judicial position as Chief Justice of .the High Court of the Cook Islands, on. February 15, 1911, illegally and, without any authority sentenced a native named Tolomona for being drunk and committing an .assault on a native sergeant of police to twenty days' bread, and wafer; in addition, he legally sentenced him .as part of- the nunishment for the same offences' to two" years' hard labour oii Maiden Island, and.further ordered that at the expiration of this sentence ho should remain on his own island in the northern, groun for an additional period of five .years.. .The.. first portion, of . the sentence—twenty days' bread and water —is in contravention of the A T ew Zealand criminal Acts in force in the Conk Islands, and also in contravention of the local ordinances,, and is, in addition", an outrage.

3. That the Chief Justice insists, or lias insisted, upon the administration of tho oath before an accused person is called upon to plead; this wholly improper and illegal proceeding bringing, the administration of justice into ridicule and contempt. ' 4. That a prisoner named' Teokotai, whilst committed ,to serve a. sbntenc.o of. hard, labour oii the roads,. was. illegally employed at the Residency hy the. Resident Commissioner as a cook, or in some capacity in the kitchen. 5. That a prisoner named Tutai,' whilst committed to servo a sentence of hard labour on the roads, was illegally employed at the private residence of the Registrar of .the High Court of the Cook Islands. (Mr. E. Blaine) as a cook. ! 6. That one Wynfrith . Revoll Reynolds .was retired from the position of Inspector, of Police illegally, by.the Resi : dent Commissioner, who had no power to. do so wider the Order-in-Council,. dated Ist day of. June,. 1906, defining the powers and duties of tho Resident Commissioner. Such retirement being based on the ground of the presumed "hostility" of the Inspector to the Resident Commissioner. The Inspector having energetically and faithfully carried out his duties, it is submitted that the only conclusion to be arrived at is that he was removed from office through tho caprice of tho Resident Commissioner. 7. That although the Hon. Jas. Carroll, as Minister in Chargo of the Cook Islands, in reply to . a request from Arikis and Native members of the Federal Council that there should bo a European member of that Council, wrote during March, 1909, to the former Resident. . Commissioner, stating that ho thought it was desirable, and pointing out how the matter could bo dealt with, the present..Resident Commissioner lias not had a European member elected to. tho position especially asked for by Arikis and Native members. Their request dating back over two rears ago. 8. That a sum of £680 Ss. 2d. was illegally oxpended hy the Resident Commissioner on the Residency, this sum not having been placed on tlie i Estimates and submitted te the Minister iy Charge of. tho. Cook Islands,, as provided by the Ordcr-iii-Coiuicil previous-1 ly referred to. Although this large

sum could be found for expenditure on the dwelling where the Resident Commissioner (Captain Smith) was residing, yet funds could not be found when requested by Dr. Dawson, then Chief Medical Officer, in connection with the hospital and the medical officers' department.

9. That the Resident Commissioner was at least guilty of a serious indiscretion in appointing his own secretary or clerk (Mr. l'\ J. Twiss) to act as auditor of tlio public accounts; the said secretary or clerk, whatever his qualifications might be, not being in that position of independence necessary to assuro the independent and disinterested audit required by law. 10. That no steps have been taken to copo with the mosquito pest by draining the Maraerenga Lagoon, winch is a breeding-ground for mosquitoes. The late Commissioner, realising the- necessity of this important work, and in tho interests of the health of the residents, placed a sum of £200 on the Estimates. This amount was struck off by tho prosent Commissioner.

The' abovo arc some of the charges, and others will be made- when the offi- | cer appointed to inquire arrives in Rarotonga. I have to .point, out that it is absolutely necessary that whoovci is sent down frill be appointed, a Royal Commissioner, possessing authority to take all evidence on oath: also that the evidence shall be taken down and recorded by a shorthand writer. If the inquiry is to bo simply a Departmental one, then the complainants will not tender evidence or attend such inquiry, as they consider, and I agree with them, that the charges are of far-too serious a nature to be inquired' into except on oath and in a public manner. All that is asked is that the complainants in the present instance shall receive the same treatment as was granted ' when . complainants ■ made charges. against the administration of the late Mr. Moss, and which resulted m Sir James Prendergast being sent down as a Royal Commissioner. I contend that the charges now madeaje of a much more serious nature than those made against Mr. Moss. Would you kindly reply to this,' informing; me if a-Royal Commissioner will be appointed, and when he' will, proceed to Rarotonga; to enable me to communicate, with complainants by the mail leaving here on Monday nest, 10th mst., at 10.30 a.m.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,

:' : (Sgd.) R.A. WRIGHT, M.P.," ' Wellington South. ""■ '■■';.'; " Wellington.' rr- T ■,'i ri IWl.' Hon. James Carroll. Minister in Charge of -the-Cook-Islands, Wellington. Sir,—On the 4th instant I wrote you submitting certain charges against the administration of the Cook Islands by the Resident Commissioner, 'Captain smith, and asking if a Royal Commissioner, would be appointed' to proceed to Rarotonga to inquire, into, tliese charges. Although 14 clays have elapsed I have not yet received a reply from you. y - . ,'''-' I have now to draw your attention to an article that,appeared in The Dominion of 15th instant, under tho heading of "More Trouble in the Cook Islands,"' and also to tho leading article in the same paper dealing with : the matter. 'Copies of article and leading article enclosed. ■: ;i .-. ■This article shows most clearly that a most unsatisfactory state of affairs exists in connection with'.the management of the Hospital at Rarotonga. I must therefore most strongly urge upon you that nothing less than the appointment oft a Royal Commissioner to i.nquirc into the present administration will allay the feelings of anxiety that exist at Rarotonga rpgnVjlflifffliis.'iifsfitution and the present unsatisfactory mode of administration. '. .. . .; As the matter has now developed into one of the utmost .urgency, I have again to; request that you will immediately let me know if it is the intention of the Government to-send down a Royal .Coin-v missioner.' If so, I request that he, shall proceed' to Rarotonga by the Aorangi, leaving here on May 3. . I await -your reply.—l have .the honour to he, sir, your obedient servant,— R, A; WRIGHT, M.P. Wellington South. ' To :ncither of these communications has the Acting-Prime Minister-yet replied. ',