NOT ENOUGH SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 11

NOT ENOUGH SHIPS

WASTAGE IN COOK ISLANDS

Owing to inadequate shipping facilities between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, growers of oranges for export are subject to heavy losses of fruit, as many as about 60,000 cases having gone to waste on one island in the group last season, said Mr. S. J. Smith, Resident Commissioner of the Islands, who arrived in Auckland yesterday morning by the Matua (states the "Auckland Star"). He said that an improved shipping service is urgently'needed. Mr. Smith flew to Wellington today and will remain in the Dominion a week, returning to Rarotonga by the Matua.

"It is not generally realised," said Mr. Smith, "that the Cook Islands cover an ocean area of some 850,000 square miles, over which the islands are scattered from Mangaia, a few degrees within the tropical ?one, to Penrhyn, the most northerly island, nine degrees south of the Equator.

"The native population is increasing rapidly, and last year's Census disclosed ; that no - less than. 30.8 of the people are under the age of ten years, and 53 per cent, under the age of twenty. This is all the more remarkable when, a few decades ago, the Cook Islanders were regarded as a dying race, and no greater tribute could' be paid to New Zealand's administration of this branch of the Polynesian people.

"The economic conditions arising from this rapid increase of population render it imperative that the trade of the territory should be correspondingly expanded, and to this end* the recent Government control of the orange industry of the Cook Islands has been a step of the greatest importance to the territory. .Considerably higher prices are now being returned to the grower.than formerly, and the prospects for the coming year are good."

The greatest obstacle, however, was the inadequacy of shipping facilities, he added. The Islands were rich in soil and prolific in tropical fruit, only awaiting means of transport to the New Zealand markets. Last year many more thousands of cases of oranges were left to waste than were shipped —only because of the lack of shipping facilities—and apprehension was being expressed that the same position might arise during the coming orange export season.