COOK ISLANDS TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20925, 15 July 1931, Page 13

COOK ISLANDS TRADE.

EFFECT OF LOW PRICES. NO MARKET FOR COPRA. PRODUCERS SEEK PROTECTION. [nr TELEGitArrr. —special tiepohteh.] WoLLII'iGTOiV, '] r.esday. Tito existing financial depression is manifesting itself in the Cook Islands territory, according to the annual report presented to the House of Representatives to-day. Copra,' which is the mainstay of the people, was practically unsaleable. In keeping with the reductions being imposed in New Zealand, all services have been seriously curtailed. A pleasing feature of the year's operations was the increase of. the native birthrate, which reached the high rate of 19.73 pur thousand in Rarotonga. The excess of exports was £5970 and with the exception of 1921. the total value of the trade, £213,906, was lower than for any year since 1918. This was attributed to the low prices ruling for products. In Aitutaki there was more planting being done than ever before. Following on the hurricane of February, which destroyed nearly all the crops, the finances of Niuo had been crippled, not only by the four cyclonic storms that visited the island devastating crops, food supplies and houses, but also by the depression in the copra market. Reference is made in the report to appeals by Cook Islands producers for protection against the importations of citrus fruits and bananas from sources outside the Dominion territories. It was held that, given reasonable protection and suitablo shipping facilities, the territories would bo able to provide New Zealand with all the tropical products and tomatoes required, and the islands would to a greater measure become self-supporting.