COOK ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11198, 19 October 1899, Page 5

COOK ISLANDS.

[from our own correspondent.] Rarotonga, October 12. HIGH COURT PROCEEDINGS. Affairs for the last month have been ver quiet. The new High Court has had severa sittings, but nothing of importance lias take] place. The case of Donald and Eden borough v. Ah Sin, which I reported in .nr last as having been given in favour of tin defendant, has taken a new phase. Tin tables are turned, and it is now Ah Sin v Donald and Edenborough, for £800, balano of account. As the judge of the High Comhas been away to the other islands of tin group on an official visit, the case was ad journed. Another case is, 1 believe, to b heard upon the arrival of the Ovalau fron Tahiti, namely, Carl Kolin v. Union Steam ship Company of New Zealand for neglec of contract in not carrying cargo as ar ranged. Mr. John Pakoti has been ap pointed ft judge of the High Court for Aitu taki, and Mr. John Trego, for Mangaia A prohibition order has been issued by th High Court against Richard Exham. SHIPPING. The London Missionary Society's steame: John Williams arrived from Sydney on Sep tember 30, and, after a cruise in the group taking round the resident missionaries, alsi the British Resident (Colonel Gudgeon), re turned here on the Bth. After landing stores, etc., for the missionaries, a part} of four native students and their wives weri taken on board, to be engaged in missioi work at New Guinea, and the steamer lef for Samoa, en route foi New Guinea anc Svdnev. CHILI COIN. English money only is received by tin Government foi duties, postal rates, etc. and all Government payments are made it English coin, but in ordinary trade Cliil coin is universally given by traders for pro duce, and also received by them for metchandise. The difficulty now is to get rii (>f this obnoxious currency, and substitute British money in its place. The difficult) lies with Tahiti. Between Tahiti and Rarotonga there is monthly steam communi cation. Tahiti merchants are also estab lislied at Rarotonga, and Chili coin is thi principal current coinage in trade use ai Tahiti. The Tahiti merchants are only toe glad to receive Chili dollars or " pesos" ir exchange for their goods, thus leaving tin New Zealand trader at a discount, as it i: useless sending Chili money to Auckland ; consequently the New Zealand traders, following the Tahiti example, are also glad t< | receive this coinage in exchange for then goods, and expend the same for the purchasi of produce, copra, fruit, etc., for export to New Zealand. How is it to be stopped! The natives and producers are always willing to take Chili dollars for their products, a: long as they know they can procure frorr the traders all they require for the dollar! thus received, and thus the game goes on; year in and year out, Chili dollars always If the New Zealand traders refused to receivi anything but English money for their goods i all the trade would naturally go to the T'a I liiti merchants. The British Resident ha: issued a Gazette, stating that English coit : will be the only legal tender after March 11900. It does not appear that this will hi ! any help, inasmuch as English coin is, ii j reality, the only legal tender at the pre I sent time, but that does not debar the j buyer oi producer from receiving or paying j Chili coin as long as they please to do s( j with their own goods or produce. It is t j great nuisance this Chili coin business, anc j the soonei' it is put an end to the bettei i for all concerned. The present standarc ' value of the Chili dollar in Tahiti and Raro I tonga is Is 9d, or 11.50 dollars to the pount sterling. THE WEATHER, We are now having beautiful, fine weather with sunny skies, typical weather for tin South Seas. A HIGH COURT JUDGMENT. In my last letter (September) it was statec that judgment had been given in the Higl Court in the case of Cook Islands Govern ment v. James Te Pou (Makea Damila) foi ' £60, to be paid within a week. I can nov ! inform you that at the expiration of till week, payment not being forthcoming, ai i injunction was sent round by the registrai to all persons holding leasehold property I from Makea Damila, informing them that i ! sequestration had been issued against all rent I due. Independent of this, an execution wa made on part of Makea Damila's liouseholc furniture, which was sold by the bailiff o the Court at public auction on the 26th ult Amongst other articles seized and sold bj auction was a large framed portrait of Mr F. J. Moss, late British Resident, and pre I sented by him to Makea Damila as a sou j venir on his departure from Rarotonga. Tin ' portrait was sold for 15s. Makea Damih i was paymaster to the Government during tin Moss administration.