"GENERAL UNREST" EMPHATIC DENIAL BY HON. DR. POMARE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1914, Page 7

" GENERAL UNREST" EMPHATIC DENIAL BY HON. DR. POMARE.

"There is no foundation whatever for the statement recently published in Wellington that general unrest existed at the Cook Islands," remarked the Hon. Dr. Pomare to-day. "Reports to hand from the Islands absolutely disprove that assertion." Alluding to the recent hurricane, the Minister said : "As soon as the hurriciane was over, immediate steps were taken to ascertain the amount of damage that was done, and to see if there was any distress. A boat was despatched with provisions ; and a medical man and pur engineer went by the boat to enquire into the whole thing, and' the officers have reported fully to me on the position of affairs. They left two months' provisions on one island, and everything necessary was done to assist the natives. It is thought that the damage to the 'fruit trees will be put right within a year. Every precaution was taken, and I think much credit is due to the Resident Commissioner and the other officers for their prompt action." Hon. Dr. Pomare desires to give an emphatic denial to a statement publish-

ed in a local paper to the effect that two natives from the Cook Islands came to see -him about "unsatisfactory conditions at the Islands," and that lie either would not see them or was too busy to do so. The Minister says that he was not informed that thu natives were coming to see him, and he did not know they were here. The natives were only in Wellington two days, and during that time he happened to be in another part of the Dominion. -"In fact," added Dr. Pomare, "I never heard that they were here until two dajs after they had left."