THE COOK ISLANDS. THE ANNUAL REPORT. INTERESTING FACTS AND COMMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 81, 3 October 1904, Page 2

THE COOK ISLANDS. THE ANNUAL REPORT. INTERESTING FACTS AND COMMENTS.

In his report on the Cook and othar islands, for the year ended 31st March last, which was presented to Parliament on Friday, the Resident Commissioner, Colonel Gudgeon, says that the exports were about normal, being £34,82],' as against £34,740 in the previous year. The imports showed a decided increase, being £34,821, against £27,623. Three reasons are given for the failure of the exports to show an increase : the fall of 25 per cent, in ths va'ue of copra, the f.ill of SO to 70 pei cent, in the value of pearl-shell, ana ''the childish, behaviour" of the Hjitiv.*s» of most of the islands. The natives, ho cays, resent the fall in prices, and . attribute the «-. me t6 the machinations of the traders, and therefore during the dry winter months they refused to make copra. When, too late, they found that they would after all be the chief sufferers, they dtd, in a half-hearted way, make about half of the usual amount of copra, but for the most part of indifferent quality. The real fact is that ihe natives of these islands are, with a few-ex-ceptions, mere overgrown babies, who sulk if they cannot get things their own way ; and it would .be well that they should bo punished like babies." We cannot have lost less than £3000 by the childish behaviour of these people. Ihe receipts and expenditure for the year were £5310 and £4558 respectively. The whole real surplus at present Is £3032. "I would point out," he x continues, "that this favourable financial position has been attained in the face iof an expensive t'chocmer, which has been run in aid of the public and of the Government of the Islands, notwithstanding virulent opposition and misrepresentation, and in spite also of a large but necessary public works expenditure of over £3000 in tho last two years. Tire necessity" for the expenditure will be apparent when I say that when I arrived t here in 1898 the Government did not even own a dog-kennel." The report deals in great detail with the various aspects of the administration of the islands. Dealing with the work of the Land Titles Court, the Commissioner ways: "My experience in the Land Titles Court of these Islands has taught me that it is inexpedient to grant an absolute freehold title to any landholder in Rarotonga. From time immemorial it has been the custom of th« island to regard the eldestborri of the senior branch of the family (Mataiapo) as the natural guardian and trustee of the family Innd, as th& man who, by right of birth and by subsequent . election by the elders of the tribe, should manage the whole estate in the interests of the family. But they did not at any time recognise that his right to the land was greater than that of any junior member of the kopu tangata, and so great is their respect for this old custom that it is well-nigh impossible to make those who are most deeply interested come forward and claim inclusion m the list of names. They are quite satisfied tp have the names of one or two elders of the family placed on the Court records, and cheerfully ignore the possible legal effect of their own prejudicee." In the Northern Island the work done has, for the most part, been confined to a settlement of the rights of the London Mission to then church, school, and mission-house sites. Tho education given is stated to be quite up to the requirements of the islands. The population of the islands is set down at 6073, the births, deaths, and marriages being respectively 182, 291, and 91.