PACIFIC ISLANDS COTTON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 156, 30 June 1914, Page 10

PACIFIC ISLANDS COTTON

. PROSPECTS OF INDUSTRY. P ! ■ 'A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. Is Niue-'WI the Cook Group, the island dependencies of Now Zealandi excellent cotton may be grown, but, for reasons that seem to the energetic Britisher* to bo altogether inadequate, cotton is now never exported. When the Civil War paralysed the American cotton-growing industry, thi» South Seas planters gave a good deal of attention to cotton, and for some years tho export of this product from the Cook Islands was both large and profitable. Thou when things settled down again in America, and the cotton-planters resumed their activities, Islands cotton lost much of its profitableness, and the planters transferred their attention, to copra and fruit. Cotton may still be seen growing wild in the Cook Islands, and no one seems to think it worth cultivating. Within recent years, Mr. H. Cornwall, tho energetic Resident Commissioner at Niue, ha;* made an attempt to establish the industry of cotton cultivation on his fertile island, but his scheme failed when it demanded as an essential, the co-operation of tho natives. In 1910 Mr. Cornwall obtained from the British Cotton-growing Association, Manchester, enough seed to plant four acres in cotton, and a hand-gin for the treatment of the commodity. The cotton seed was distributed among the natives, and tho plants throve, and threw a good crop. In 1911, a fair sample of the lint was baled and sent to the association, whose broker reported that Niue Island cotton was "clean, right, extra tine, long staple, well worth growing; valno, Is w per pound if in commercisl quantities." Having thus demonstrated that cotton could be grown successfully for export, Mr. Cornwall tried to induce the natives and traders to place the industry upon a commercial basis, but in this he'was disappointed. In his annual report, dated April, 1913, he cays: 'The record prices for copra that prevailed during last year, and still continue, have to a largo extent wen the means of diverting the minds of the natives from this new Industry, but I still have strong hopes of persuading them to take up cotton-planting as a permanent thing." When interviewed,recently, on the occasion of the visit of tho Hon. Dr. Porhare to the island, Mr. Cornwall-said that it appeared that so long as the present high and very profitable prices ruled for copra, the natives would not take tip any other industry. While they had a great reputation m workers, the Niueans shared, with other Islands peoples, th* peculiar characteristic that they would work en their own island no more than was necessary to maintain themselves comfortably. If the bottom dropped, out of the copra industry, the natives might take to cotton-planting, but bo long is they could ' make money .so eaaly.. with copra, there seemed little d»Bw9,' ; of their becoming -planters of cotton. -. . <: ■ ' ' .;; >.'■• Asked if white planters might take up coUcn.gTowing in Niue, Mr. Cornwall said feat- white awn would-have to face two difficulties—obtaining' land, and obtaining labour. Land might t he secured on lease if tie prospective planter Ware •sufficiently shrewd to avoid the 'harassing conditions imposed by the natives, who ■were exceptionally keen business men; but after; that he would probably find the natives demanding exorbitant rates of pay. . Stai;^th>j experiment already . made had demonstrated the possibilities' .of' the in- ! dustry, aid he, believed "that sooner or later tie Exceptional facilities provided by Niue forthe growing, of a good class. cotton would be taken advantago of. The l'tffi«r profits ■- obtained' by exporters of ; ppra And ; fruity with '-. a smaller ;eipendi* tore of time and labonr, were tM greatest lumdiciip.npon the industry at present, in Nme as Veil as.in the other South Sea Twnfa '" .v'v;'-:--:r--*A.-rw '•¥-'>•> ->«?«