COOK ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13391, 21 January 1907, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS.

A MISSIONARY INTERVIEWED. IMPROVEMENTS FOLLOW ANNEXATION. [BV TELEGRAt'H. — OWN CORREiU'OXDENT.] Wii.nN<;TON. Saturday. This morning a Post reporter had an interesting interview on matters concerning the Cook Inlands with the Rev. Albert Piper, who, with Mrs. Piper, lias just returned from Rarolonga after four years spent there in the. service of the Seventh Day Adventt-t- denomination. Mr. Piper had no hesitation in affirming that annexation and the new administration had improved things generally at the islands. The beach-combing type of man. a good-for-noth-ing class, which used to hang about loafing and drinking, had been almost entirely eliminated, and the present white population whs of a much better class as a whole.

In the matter of land tenure the main body of natives were very well satisfied with the new arrangements, under which they can get proper titles to the laud. In bygone times after a man had worked haul on Ins land, cultivated and generally Improved it. he would be liable, to lose it, as some thief would come along arid make some excuse to get hold of it. Now the. native' knew the land was his own, and he naturally took more, interest in it. 'Hie chic's, however, who thus lost some of their old privileges, were ii'"- quite so pleased, still very little was heard of any dissatisfaction.

The natives now got very little European liquor; it was not procurable at all without ? permit from the doctor, which was not easy to obtain. They, however, made considerable quantities of orange and banana bee,. The oranges are peeled and the juice squeezed out and put into a barrel. Yeast is added, and the whole is allowed to stand overnight before being consumed next morning. Banana beer is made in the same way. only the bananas are boiled and the juice extracted in that way. This "hush beer," which the natives would be better without, was not made frequently except for festive occasions and on Sundays.

White settlement could not progress rapidlv. as the natives were very shy of leasing their hmds for long periods, and short periods are of little use. Ilk- substitution of the Manapouri tor the Ovalau tor the conveyance of products to New Zealand was a great improvement, but there were trips when part of the cargo offering had to be left behind. This suggested the need for a second boat at the busiest times of the rear, with duett connection to Wellington. The natives were easily discouraged by bad markets, but there were" some who remained consistent and persistent. . . In the matter of population the islands were about holding their own, the births about equalling the deaths, and this was an improvement on the condition of things a few yeans back, when there was a palpable falling off. . . . Questioned on the state ot missionary enterprise at the islands Mr. Piper said it was not in a verv flourishing condition, although all the workers there were doing their level best. The best way to teach the native man or woman to lead a straight life wan to get them to live under the missionary's control for a year or two and set them a good example. If one good, strong native was obtainable he carried a good deal of weight, aud exercised much influence over the other?. The best results were got by netting the children young and teaching Them to be useful. The Seventh Day Adventists had a school where the young men were taught such trades as carpentry and blacksmithin,. but chiefly how to cultivate their land and beautify the home with flowers etc. It was useless giving them a ?Sy education; it-s of infinitely more practical use to teach them how taljea clean life, and how to cultivate, then land. Mr Piper knew from experience that the ma „ who'had the neatest and cleanest;.home was the man who had been at tins school a couple of . is l ant l s -great drawback Commercially tne isiai.u. „ £x..s»tv "roup t would mean a, very -real Klcfte the future of the Xeir Zealand annexed territory.