IN GLOVER

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1914, Page 6

IN GLOVER

WHERE ACCOUNTS NEED NOT BE PAID. *THE HAPPY COOK ISLANDER Whoever caJled the Cook Islands the "islands of the blest" probably had no intention of being humorous. But if he referred to the. position of the native in respect to debts incurred he certain ly described the islands very well. Clause 2 of the Private Debts Act iqoo reads as follows: — "A debt incurred after the ;,ist of August, 1900, by any Maori or by a half-caste who is living among the Maoris shall not be recoverable by any process of law known in the Cook Islands." I-n the first place this law was passed to protect the native from unscrupu lous white traders, who had a habit of getting a native into their clutches n'._>racially and keeping him their. But to-day things are different. The native 's not the innocent victim of any trader and he knows a thing or two about the law. The consequence is that +he person needing protection is not the native but the white man. One planter whom I met said some very hard things about this particular law. He had given a native a sum of money to buy fruit for export. The native was addicted to card-playing, lost the money and went his way. If the planter wants to recover that sum ha has a very hard task ahead- Numer o)us instances of a similar character cpuild be given, and some of a very hu morous order The matter had a serious side, how- . ever and should receive the attention of the authorities. A bad season comes along, and many of the natives are in j temporary need. They go at once to the traders and ask for a tin of meat or biscuits, and promise to pay as soon ■*.s. they can. The trader may have done a great deal of business with the native in days gone by and in any case does not wish ''to see him in actual want so he gives him the goods. Often that is the end of the transaction for by no pro ,cess of the law can the trader recover his debt. It has been suggested "that the law ;iio'i.j »« .-.n^-.-i to permit u~onp to recover a debt from a native provided teh amount did not exceed .£5. This would enable the trader to give the natives limited credit when they needed it and at the same time it would protect the native from being duped by anyone the proposed limit being low. At the present time the trader is asked to rely entirely upon the word of the native and in this respect there are natives and natives. The natve knows all about 1 his particular law and takes full advantage of it. He eveai pleads the Prvate Deb's A,ct when any attempt is made to collect cost on a civil actionTake the positon at Aitutaki Maikiand Atiu after the hurricane in January last. The natives had lost practieverything — houses crops foo<l supplies and all. Months had to pass before the fruit. tree could recover for thr islands were swept bare and the tuulprs had to give many natives supplies In tide them over the lean months knowing perfectly well- that should the natives choose to ignore ther debts there was nothing to mak hem pay. In some ways his law forms a handi cap upon the business section of the community, and some compromise on 'the trfe lines indicated would not be un welcome in the group. — "*"""""'"—""' ■ * DO WE DRINK ENOUGH WATER? "NO,'" said a doctor the otber day. "Water in abundance helps to flush the system." But better than water is Wai-Ronga Natural Mineral Water. Always pure, always pleasant,-, wh.de. the properties it -contains keep the liver, kidneys and blood in-^ood order. Take solely", or with your drink. Clubs, hotels, stores chemists.