COOK ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12726, 1 December 1904, Page 3

COOK ISLANDS.

* [KUOJI OTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] '--■.-' Rakotonga. November 18. The Union Company's' steamer Tavinui is due to-day from Tahiti, and sails at once for Auckland. For the past few .; days large quantities of bananas and pines have been carted into the sheds for shipment. As to copra only about half of the season's output will go to New Zealand this year; some three hundred tons are awaiting shipment io America direct. OREGON (PINE TIMBER FOR THE ..■■■ t ISLANDS. The American threfc-master KelJogg arrived from San Francisco yesterday with a full cargo of Oregon timber, consigned to Messrs. Donald and Edenborough. Even with the New Zealand duty this timber can be landed here cheaper than- kauri from New Zealand. -The barque loads > back with copra and cocoanuts to San Francisco. , The Resident Commissioner is at present putting in a month's work at' the island fpf ; Aitutaki, principally on land title disputes, j Affairs are very quiet at all the islands, with the exception, perhaps, ,of Mangaia. At this island it would bo well to deport a few malcontents for the well-being of all. i Considerable amusement has arisen of late at Rarotonga in consequence of. an acrobatic troupe having been '< inaugurated by several Samoa natives kiely arrived. The s first troupe gave several performances to large numbers of our native population, but our local friends were not content to allow the Samoans to have their own way, so an opposition troupe was put into siisape, a brass band was engaged, and for. a week or two great rivalry existed; but, alas, the performance grew stale, and I am told that on the last ': evening, the rivals performed to;audiences of four' and seven : respectively. Trade has been brisk (' late, the natives having had a deal of money at their disI posal,' being the result oath's sale of their I copra and bananas. Of oranges there are none, aad will not be any until about March I next year. Bananas have, however, ; been freely "planted during the past year, and the export of this article will doubtless lie very much increased shortly. As to coffee, formerly our principal export, this has been very much neglected in consequence of the New Zealand Government' permitting . the ( cheap Central American coffees to come into New Zealand free of duty., and comptoting p "-sins',our hotter quality or. c--.;iec. '"■ Not a tmvoC coffee has lecrt picked on this island: this year, where formerly 150 tons p<*;- er '".-" were exported, /.'ho miserable cum-> .> pound, which is all wo cau get in? -~' land, does not pay either the \Suw..- > <s: native grower. In fact, the/rialjyi ■ y jZ-%' : x i' doas not bother hirac?lf a great deal." .'*'-: '**»« always iivo on hi.'. h,-,h. oreadfrtiit; >;n : " •<?>,'« luscious fruits. . " A.; fay' p'nas or net* f:;!« the motto of the ..«.<" - <i^'(^-oerto?- ,3?ft ? pea; • m m tha.. -axil ...V^shtAf'" : '. 7 . *'*'** I Zealand should g1...i >: *\' „ea'..oa ,Yi-jjjj our ..oducts. They h.ve taken on themselves the "burden," thin iielp us on:'-. We can easily supply you with all th* oranges, bananas, and coffee that yon re quire, and have plenty,to s.psi«- c but we cannot send them to you at ~'a-,lf>?f to oivrf«>lves Fiji is our ; heaviest in ba.ianas and the French Society Ishril' ia oranges. : » ■':-..::' :.> .. ■~■■■ :■■■ ' " - . - ■ •