COOK ISLANDS AND ITS ADMINISTRATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 14

COOK ISLANDS AND ITS ADMINISTRATION.

Sir,—l havo read ivitli a groat (leal of pleasure your loader of tho lGth ult., "Fighting Against Odds," and this heading, to thoso who aro acquainted with both sides of Cook Islands matters, is a 1 very proper ona I have also read Han- 1 sard Nos. S and 9 of this session qu this subject ,and notice many speeches from members, and I am quite certain if they ' knew tho true state of affairs some of thorn would not bring such statements as they have mado before an intelligent body of people. I have al?o mado myself acquainted with tho various letters in tho papers and tho House on Sir Robert Stoufs report, ' which latter I am sure has done, and still will do a great deal of harm to tho Cook Islands. His remarks on climate, health of whites, and the land question are most misleading, and will tend to deter persons from coming here cither as visitors or probable settlers. His report is evidently based on the views of a few of tho supporters of .Captain Smith, as Mr. Wright in his speech so truly says. "Who were tho informants of Sir Robert Stout?" . . . exactly what you ask as a heading to the letter of September 25, is what interests tho people of Karotonga, and a solution of the mystery i would bo very pleasing. Mr. Wright has no doubt been placed tn the position of having to make tho statements he did upon the information and proofs submitted to him by Dr. Dawson, Mr. Hosking, and Mr. Reynolds, but that fact does not at all mean that he has been misinformed. Oa tho contrary, in fact. These three have plainly asked, both in the public press and in their petition, for an ojien inquiry under oath, and is it likely that they would foolishly lay themselves-open to bo charged with perjury if they could not substantiate their charges? It is fortunate for tho welfare of tho people of these Islands that these three were in such a position as to be able t< voice the sentiments hold by the vast majority of the residents here, who were precluded from taking any activo interest or, rattier, part in the proceedings owing to their business connections hero and in Now Zealand. The persecution that thesa three gentlemen have been exposed to ever since they first began to move in Cook Island matters is a scandal to any British community. What wero really expressions of goodwill and confidence in Dr. Dawson' and Mr. Reynolds wero' signed by nearly ail tho Europeans here, and it is particularly significant in tho onise of the torir.cr that 1100 Natives shonld have signed a petition to Parliament in favour of him. Wo here know the open threats that havo been mado in this matter, as in others, both to. Europeans and Natives. I repeat again that I am sorry to see so many members of tho Houso attempting to'tako up tho cause of this Adminisr (ration without any further knowledge savo that based purely on hearsay, r if I am permitted I would like to pass some criticism on these statements, and gjve your readers a little food for thoueht as to the members and others responsible for them. Having an inside knowledge of affairs here, I may say that oue letter attached to the report was a testimonial to Mr. Reynolds signed by sixty odd residents of Karotonga. Another letter attached or read in the House was ono withdrawing tho signatures of ten men who say that they signed because they understood that the testimonial was to help Mr. Reynolds to obtain employment in New Zealand, and tboii reason for withdrawal was that thev considered that tho presentation of the paper to Sir Robert Stout was a breach. of confidsncc of a reprehensible nature (presumably oven at a secret inquiry). Js this the true reason for thoir withdrawal? In the case of at least seven of tho ten I do not think it is, and hero are my reasons for saying so: The testimonial'to -Mr. Reynolds was signed shortly after his sudden dismissal, and if they did not think Mr. R-eytvdds unjustly treated, and a cnpablo officer, why did tliey sign of their own ..fr.cojvill in tho first place? Unfortunately, tho man More was shot by Wigmore subsequent to the signing of this paper, but previous to the farcical injuiry into the charges against the Admin • istration, ami several of the persons who withdrew were personal friends of Wigmorc. and in the habit of attending the "jollifications" at his plantation. They resented very much tho fact that Mr. Reynolds should have como forward at the request of tho relatives of More to assist in elucidating the mystery surrounding the case after the preliminary investigation conducted by Dr. Story, which had had a disturbing effect both on the Maori and the European minds. Mr. Reynolds, in conjunction with others, played a most upright and manly part in assisting in preventing a possible miscarriage of justice, and these men wero much exercised over the fact that Reynolds or any white man, for that matter, should have rendered this assistance to Maoris against a European, and particularly against AVigmore. Tho real motive actuating those people is thirefore very apparent. I may here remark that the attitude of Captain Smith, as Chief Judge of the High Court of tho Cook Islands afforded ample evidence that he was not competent to fulfil the duties of tho position he held. I am pleased to see that Mr. Reynolds has an opportunity of coming before a committee of the House, and no doubt he will make it very evident to the gentlemen composing it that everything is not right in the Cook Islands, niul also that .his own treatment is anything but fair,'or what a British official is commonly supposed to receive from his superiors. "The statement' is made by the Hon. Mr. . FowMs that the Resident Commissioners (3) have each of them been vilified and traduced by certain small ■jliques whose charges havo been "actuated by personal feeling and selfish desire to make mischief." I am much surprised that he should have ventured on such an utterance, as ho knows, or should know, as Acting-Minister for Justice, that the inquiry held by Sir James Prendergast resulted in the removal of Mr. .Moss, and that the charges at that timo were proved and justified. There was never any complaint mado against Colonel Gndgcon, though he held office for over nine yrars, either by Europeans or Maoris, and this was no doubt duo to his personal charm of manner, •his tact, his knowledge of the Natives, and his previous judicial experience. He was therefore assisted by a.I classes ot the community during his term of office, with most advantageous results lo these Islands, and had Captain Smith had similar personal attributes and knowledge, tho present state of affairs would never" havo arisen. Mr. Fowlds also read a letter from a Mr. J. L. Young, dated from Auckland, which touches upon administration of j justice, hospital management, determination of Mr. Reynolds's agreement, drainago of Maraerenga lagoon, and abuse of liquor. From this letter it would appear that Mr. Young has resided in the Cook Group for the past thirty years, and if such were the caso the letter would rightly havo mueh weight. But such is not so. I state most emphatically from long residence and business connection with these Islands that Mr. J. L. Young has never boen a resident of Rarotonga or any other of these Islands, though he has certainly resided in Tahiti for a number of years, and for the past five years or so has resided in Auckland. For many years past he has been in the habit of passing though Rarotonga on the steamer, but the duration of his stay was the length of time tho vessel stopped, not more. He at one time had an interest in a Rarotongan store, and at present has a trading schooner in tho group. From this your readers will gather that tho knowledge of local conditions must, at the best, bo based on hearsay, and not on tho long residence his letter wonld suggest, liie sources of his information aro not far to seek, and the most important of them are, no doubt, closely connected with tho Administration. I defy Mr. J. L. Young to truthfully deny that my statements are correct. Mr. Fowlds no doubt put tho letter forward in all good faith, but, in common with Sir Robert Stout, he has suffered from a lack of information and personal knowledge. To Rangihiroa, M.P., has also mado a speech, and from it I should ynther that he has considerably altered his ideas on tho Administration, especially on hospital questions. If his memory is faulty, a good many of the residents of Rarotonga do not forgot tho promises that he mado to havo matters seen into. Did ho not enter the-new hospital under protest on account of its unfinished state? Did

ho not have trouble with Captain Smith? If not, why was lie one of the officials ] who did not see fit to accept tho tardilyoffered hospitality of tho Resident Commissioner? Mr. Albert Glover, M.P., sets himself Up as a Cook Islands authority, and says that he knows more about them than any 1 other person, tie admits receiving letters, i and I suppose it is tho sole source of ' his information. lie has certainly been to theso Islands, but if I am not mistaken, only twice in twenty years or so. 110 may have been a month in Mangaia somo four or five years ago, and onco passed through on tho steamer, and I would like to know when or whero he has 1 paid any other Island visits. He speaks of tho good Administration, but ho has never been hero during Captain Smith's term of office, so what does ho know about things at present? His speech is well padded by quotations in full of the Arikis' speeches from that report, which was a wasto of time, seeing tho members of tho House can all read. In the matter of his son's death, I have nothing but sympathy to extend, but I would point oat that it is just such occurrences that tho present agitation aims at trying to prevent by the proper organisation of tho Medical Department. Had Dr. Dawson's wishes been carried out in this matter things would be a great deal farther advanced towards the solution of that problem by this time. That Dr. Perceval on his lato trip round the Islands must have been afforded many evidences of the enormous amount of work waiting for a doctor (and ho has no doubt arrived at , somo fairly definite conclusions in the matter) is apparent to anyono who has raado such a trip. Tho Federal and local Council meetings, if they arc held, are held as secret sessions, so to speak; few seem to knowwhen the meetings take place, and those who know tho Natives do not need to bo told that meetings held under such circumstances are most probably a form and a farce, and simply a one-horse show. How would tho public of New Zealand like to have their Parliaments conducted on such lines? How would they like to bo debarred from going to hear the debates if they wanted to go? How would they feel if they knew that tho Prime Minister made the laws, acted as Judge of the Courts, and spent moneys as he pleased, and virtually unchecked savo for an annual audit? 1 think that any remarks that they might care to make would very soon be replaced by moro strenuous methods. Under tho circumstances it is very apparent why tho election of a white member to tho Council is distasteful to Captain Smith, for a white member of tho Council would mean both opposition and, perhaps, restraint, both in lawmaking and expenditure of revenues. Assuming that- the figures used by tho Hon. Mr. Ngata to be correct, i.e., that the expenditure. exceeded revenuo by ■£900 in 1910, a reason can easily b? supplied why this should bo so, seeing that the Resident Commissioner expended s£GSO on repairs,- etc., to Ngatipa, the official residence, amongst other wasteful expenditure that I do not intend to specify here. This expenditure alone emphasises the need for a white and controlling member's presence on tho Council, for a sum of money was expended on an old building that would have sufficed to put un a totally new house. I<et your readers reflect on that. In reference to Mr. Ngata's remark about leaving these Islands to themselves, may I ask him what would havo been tho present stato of New Zealand itself at the present day if it had not been for European capital, industry, resource, and energy? I venture to remark with all deference that Mr. Ngata himself would even now havo been gracing the festive board alongside the pig so beloved of tho Polynesian, the koura, and tho fish of tho* Sea of Kiwa; but he would not have had enough life in him even to act the part of a "passive resistor," and tho progress of the feast would havo been a great deal faster than the development cf these Islands. To conclude this letter, I say this in regard to tho papers of the Arikis, etc.. to Sir Robert Stout: They aro simply tho expressions of opinion on tho part of people who aro waiting land-dispute sctlement, and Maori-like they are not offering any temptation to a judge to bcrorao biased against their cases. Land troubles are an excellent weapon to havo in hand, and it is evident that the Government is procrastinating in tho matter of tho settlement of theso land disputes. Are wo to connect tho tiro facts or aro wo not, that is tho question. Rarotonga at present seethes with land troubles, and the Natives aro growling about it. but no ono can havo very much sympathy with them, taking it all round, for they havo accentuated their own troubles by what they, or their leaders, havo said to Sir Robert Stout, or have had put into their mouths for tho same purpose. No ono who knows the Maori expects him to do or say under the circumstances anything except what the Resident Commissioner or tho petty tools of tho Government tell them to say.—l am, etc., TAICITUMU. Rarotonga, October 4.