EASTERN PACIFIC TRADE PROSPECTS.

Evening Star, Issue 8773, 14 March 1892, Page 1

EASTERN PACIFIC TRADE PROSPECTS.

Tue Cook Islands, also known as the Hervey Group, have been for some years a protectorate of Great Britain, but it was only at the end of 1890 that a British Resident was appointed. This action, fraught possibly with important results to New Zealand, was taken at the instance of Sir Robert Stout, who, when Premier in 1885, in a memorandum to Sir W. Jervois, then Governor, represented that, considering the value of commercial relations between Raratonga and New Zealand, it would be advisable in the interests of the Colony that a Resident should be appointed in that island. This opinion was strongly emphasised by Sir William in a despatch to the Secretary of State, Lord Derby, in reply, said that he was quite willing that a Resident should be appointed, but he thought that the Imperial Government should have the nomination, and that the salary should be provided by New Zealand. This the then Ministry declined to accede to, but were prepared, they stated, to recommend to the House the appropriation of the salary, provided the nomination was vested in the New Zealand Government. After a good deal of correspondence these conditions were acceded to; it being further agreed that all instructions and correspondence must pass between the Resident and the Governor, and be by him submitted to Ministers for their consideration. In November, 1890, Mr F. J. Moss was appointed, on the nomination of the Atkinson Ministry, as “ British Resident at Raratonga in the “ Cook or Hervey Islands, and to act “ for the Colony of New Zealand as “ Government Agent in all matters “ relating to trade.” Mr Moss is, therefore, practically an Imperial officer, and it is in that capacity that he is trying the experiment of representative government. The law providing for the good government of the Cook Islands was passed in June last year, having been “enacted by the “ British Resident and the representatives of the several islands of the “ Cook Group that are included within “ the British protectorate and theisland “of Aitutuki in Council assembled. A Parliament to meet annually was constituted ; but no laws are to be valid until approved by the British Resident. An Executive Council is appointed to carry out the laws, and is styled “ the Government ” of the Cook Islands ; and certain fixed appropriations are made out of any revenue to be raised by authority of Parliament, among which we note, as characteristic of the promoter of the law, thirty dollars “to each member of Parliament for his personal use.” Mr Moss, it is understood, finds his new kingdom, as he would seem determined to make it, hardly a bed of roses, and has been recently in Now Zealand consulting with the late Governor, we may presume in regard to what is to be done with the Cook Parliament when it meets in June.

The first report of the Resident on the trade of the Cook Islands, dated December 17 last, has been recently issued from the Government Printing Office, and, beyond the mere statistics, contains much interesting information. Mr Moss gives, in the first place, a brief description of the islands within the protectorate, and of the material, social, and political condition of the people. The islands, seven in number, situated about 1,700 miles from Auckland, extend at irregular distances over an ocean area 180 miles square, on the verge of the tropic. They are extremely fertile; but the chief value consists in the position as “ the gate- “ way of the extensive and beautiful “ archipelagoes studding the Eastern “ Pacific south of the Equator.” The total Native population, which has decreased very much within the last half century, is about 7,000, but the tendency to decrease is believed to have stopped. At the best, however, it is only stationary, and immigration is very desirable, abundance of good land now lying waste and useless. The foreign residents number at present some fifty adult males, engaged in trade or planting. They are chiefly British, with a few Americans, Germans, French, and Chinese. The best immigrants and most suitable, Mr Moss thinks, would be Japanese peasantry, “ each family settling on a “ few acres of land at a fixed rent, “ with an independent and permanent “tenure. Production would rapidly “ increase, and the introduction of new “ blood from a kindred race would be “ in all respects of great value.” With the exception of the Cook Islands, the archipelagoes of the Eastern Pacific are all French possessions. The opening of the Nicaragua Canal, now in course of completion, will give (Mr Moss says) to Tahiti, on the line of communication between the "Western World and the South Pacific, the position now held by the Hawaiian Islands, and must “ develop “ the whole of them to an extraordi- “ nary degree.” At Aitutuki, however —one of the Cook Group, and well on this line of communication—an opening in the coral reef gives the opportunity for making a fine harbor at a small cost; whilst Raratonga, the nearest island to New Zealand, possesses three harbors —the best of which is Avatia, the present centre of trade, capable of receiving vessels of from 500 to 600 tons. Under these circumstances Mr Moss considers that the endeavor now being made “ to build up in the Cook “Islands a self-governing people “ of the Maori race is doubly interest- “ ing. If successful, the inhabitants of “ this group must acquire great influ-

“ ence among their kindred in the “ neighboring archipelagoes. They are “ anxious to learn English, As the “ Imperial Government have con- “ nected the protectorate with New “ Zealand, the success of the present “ experiment might fairly be regarded “as the first step towards the exten- “ sion of New Zealand’s influence, and “to her becoming the commercial, “ and ultimately, perhaps, the political, “ centre of an island federation that “would form a fitting companion to “federated Australia,”

The imports for the year 1891 amounted altogether in value to 131,422d0l from New Zealand 70,447d01, from California G,489d01, and from Tahiti 54,486d01; but it is noted that the direct trade with California was stopped early in the year by the wreck of the Vanderbilt, and Californian goods have since come via Tahiti. The exports for the year totalled in value to 146,349d0l —to

New Zealand H2,529d01, to Calfornia 5,842d01, to Tahiti 27,968d01. The returns in detail show that California (direct and via Tahiti) is likely to be the chief competitor with New Zealand for the trade of the Eastern Pacific, The connection between San Francisco and Tahiti is cheap and regular, maintained by smart sailing vessels subsidised by the Government of Tahiti. Between New Zealand and Tahiti communication is maintained by the s.s. Richmond, which does the round voyage in thirty-eight days—i.e., from Auckland to Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, and Raratonga, and thence back to Auckland. Occasionally the Richmond calls at Raratonga on the way from Samoa to Tahiti. Mr Moss remarks that, to maintain her hold of this portion of the Pacific, New Zealand must be careful to ship—of her own produce especially—nothing that is not sound and of good quality. He is of opinion that, these essential conditions observed, New Zealand should be able to compete successfully with California in hams, bacon, cheese, salted pork and beef, tinned meats and vegetables, biscuits, potatoes, onions, and all agricultural produce and live slock. The tinned mullet, he observes, is much liked; but the low price lately of American tinned salmon has interfered with the sale, it having been retailed at 9d the pound tin. Woollen goods from New Zealand have, he says, an excellent name : but the demand, naturally enough in such a climate, is limited. Coffee is the staple export from the Cook Islands. Mr Moss expresses the opinion that with proper cultivation the quantity could be increased eight or tenfold “ The quality is excellent, “but the coffee is carelessly picked, “not properly sorted, and sold too “ new. 1 ' Other exports are copra and cotton—which “ will be staple, but are “ not likely to increase to any great “ extent ” —oranges, cocoanuts, limejuice, pineapples, and bananas. Raratonga must, he thinks, sooner or later be recognised as the nearest tropical country from which South New Zealand can obtain a direct supply.