FRUIT SCHEME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 17 November 1937, Page 6

FRUIT SCHEME

ISLAND VOTES MONEY FOR HEALTH [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, This Day. When the Cook Islands section of the External Affairs Department’s estimates was being discussed by the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr S. G. Holland (National, Christchurch North) who was a member of the Parliamentary Committee that visited the Islands last year, asked for an explanation of an item of £IO.OOO “advance to fruit scheme.” Was it for replanting Rarotonga or would the money be used for the outer islands? He also drew attention to the amount allocated for medical and nursing services for the group. Last year the vote was £7OOO, lie said. This year only £SOOO was being provided. Fie asked the reason for the reduction. It was thought by those who had visited the Islands that there was need for an increased vote. Another vote that had been reduced was that for education services, said Mr Holland. Last year the sum £6237 \\as expended, but the estimates authorised ** only £6OOO this year. The native teachers were doing wonderful work and received only about 30s a month New Zealand currency. The committee had recommended an increase in this department. Mr Holland said that last year £SOO was voted and- spent on a wireless service, but no provision was made on the estimates for wireless this year. Money spent on such services was of inestimable<Value to the residents. The outer islands depended on wireless, and lie gave an instance of a wireless message, being transmitted from Rarotonga giving details of treatment which should be accorded to a perspn reported sick. When the service was used for such humanitarian purposes expenditure should not be stinted. In the course of Ills reply, the Minister of External Affairs, Mr Savage, said that the Government would do its level best to see that the health conditions in the Cook Islands were of the best. "We will not allow the grass to grow under our feet,” lie added. Money would not be saved at the expense of the people residing in the Islands. He would make inquiry into the position ot the wireless services. The £IO,OOO advance for the fruit scheme would be free of interest and was for replanting. The Government was not squeezing anybody or bringing anybody down to a low level.