THE COOK ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 30, 4 August 1923, Page 5

THE COOK ISLANDS

CHEAPER FRUIT SUPPLIES

PROGRESSIVE ISLAND POLICY

ADVOCATED

Several matters in connection with the administration of the Cook Islands were discussed in the course of the debate on the vote of £17,587 provided on the Estimates for the current financial year.

Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) urged improvements iv the shipping 6ervice to the islands, so that the Dominion could benefit to a greater extent in the matter of fruit supplies. He also asked for information concerning liquor in the islands. The Minister (Sir Maui Pomare) said the Government had no control over the shipping, and he was not prepared to cay anything either in favour of or against State-owned ships. The Government was doing all it could for the fruit industry, and no one could say it had been guilty of neglect. Experiments had been made with citrus fruits, and hitherto unknown spices had' been produced by crossing. In regard to spirits, the Minister said there was total Prohibition in the islands, except for a restricted quantity of spirits, which was controlled by medical officers, and used for medical purposes only.

HIGH COST OF FRUIT. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) pointed out that the cost of island fruits in the country was much higher than in the towns, and suggested a reduction in the railway'freights. The Minister said j that all Cook Island fruit was carried j at the same rate as New Zealand fruit, but discrimination was made against foreign fruit. Anomalies had existed, but they had been very wisely wiped out, and Cook Islands fruit was now treated the same as local fruit. The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) urged that something should be done for a better supply of island fruit for the South Island of New Zealand. At present the damage to fruit en route was so great that the prices of the sound supplies received was unduly high. He suggested that a boat shouldbe arranged from the islands to the South Island or to Wellington district. Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) thought the trovernment should have a boat of its own for the purpose. The Minister agreed that the people in the South Island should have facilities for cheaper fruit than at present/ and said that a aubsidised service might be. arranged with Niue. Replying to a question in respect to the pineapple Sir Main aaid that experiments had been carried out in the canning of the fruit, but it way found to be a non-payinf proposition. . . . PROGRESSIVE ISLAND POLICY. Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) advocated a progressive island policy— a policy whereby the islands would be made self-supporting, and asked what the Government was-doing in regard to the island of Sumarrow. He maintained that at the present x time the islands under the administration of the Dominion were not the asset they should be, and asked what the Dominion was losing by having so many islands under its control. Another dependency had just been attached to New Zealand. "We will have to be careful," he warned, "or little New . Zealand will' go bankrupt throiigh."having too much to look after." ' ' The Minister stated that there was practically no one living on Sumarrow island, which had been leased by the Government to a New Zealand Company Ihe island was swept by a hurricane in laio, and had been subsequently taken over by the company referred to, and was being cultivated and improved. Mr. Howard expressed the opinion that some day the isiand would be used for defence purposes for this part of the Pacific. The vote was passed without amendment.