COOK ISLANDS

New Zealand Mail, 27 August 1902, Page 18

COOK ISLANDS

Sir J. G. WARD, in moving tlie second reading of the Look and Other Islands Government Act Amendment Bill, in the House of Representatives on tlie I9th instant, explained that the Bill amended the principal Act as to the government of Niue Island red repealed clause 1G of the principal Act, which limited the duration of that measure. Air HERRIES urged teat the amend-, ed laws brought into force in the Look group should be laid before the House, so that members might know wnat was going on.

Air TANNER confessed that our first attempts at annexation had not been the success which.the House had been led to believe it would be. Air NAPIER complained that the islands were under a form of absolutism, under which our white fellow-colonists were not represented. He urged that the islands should be represented in the New Zealand Parliament. Air G. W. RUSSELL thought that the islands shonJ.l be connected for electoral purposes with some constituencies in the Auckland district. Air ATKINSON said that our foreign policy, as embodied in the annexation of the Cook Islands, was nothing but a solemn farce.

Mr MONK held that the House' ouglit to have complete information as to the financial relations between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Air PIRANI asserted that the administration of judgment as carried on by Saneho Panza was just the same as that being now carried on in Cook Islands by Air Gudgeon. The administration could be much better done by a British Resident than it was done under the present expensive system.

Air E. AI. SAITTH held that New Zealand, in taking over the Cook Islands, was simply carrying out the mission entrusted to it. not by human, but by Divine law. We had done very well in New Zealand.

Air AIcLACHLAN supported the Bill. We had done right to secure so valuable an asset.

Mr LAUREXSON thought that a fair trial should be gii*en to the experiment that had been made. He thought tlie Government should run its steamer down to Rarotonga in order to allow members to improve their knowledge of the new possessions. ” Mr HUTCHESON contended that when tlie House agreed to take over the Cook Islands it was misled by highlycoloured aud ornate accounts of great benefits to be derived from the acquisition. To bring forward legislation now asking the House to agree to tinker in the dark with this wretched dependency was an objecr.ssnable thing to do. Pull information should be given to the House as to revenue returns.

Air AIEREDITH said that two years ago he voted tr postpone consideration of motion ,o annex the Cook Islands. His view of tne question tLr-n was that if tlie islands were to be annexed that should bo done by Great Britain. JLLis main reason for voting against the second reading of the present Bill was

that adequate information had not been given to members regarding revenues. He urged the Government ta hold over the Bill until further information could, be placed before tho House.

Sir JOSEPH "W ARD, in replying said that a person would almost think’ to hear some of the speeches delivered that night, that the proposals for annexation were being for the first tinia submitted to the House. Tlie Government had not lost any time in bringing down proposals; there had been adequate time taken in which to care', fully consider a final scheme. Had any. hasty legislation been brought down, those who had been complaining about delay would have been loud in objection in the opposite direction. Sir Joseph thought Air Laurenson’s suggestion as to members being given aiT"opportunity of inspecting the islands should be given effect to, but it would not be practicable until after the general election. The Acting-Premier denied that Government had any wish to hold back information regarding the islands; the despatches were delayed from being put on - the table of the House because Colonel Gudgeon bad included in them matters of a confidential nature, aud therefore they had to be sent back. If all communications sent to tlie Government were put in papers laid on the table of the House tho papers would he made as high as 41r Herries himself. Tlie annexation * o f the islands was a very good thing for the colony to have done; it would nave been a very undesirable thing if New Zealand had allowed the Australian Commonwealth to acquire the whole of the islands of the Pacific. The question of representation of the islands need not be entered into now; it was mere beating of the air for members to go on in this manner now when the subject was one for future consideration. The Government was not anxious for delay nor to precipitate matters. All information would be laid upon the table at the earliest possible moment. Sir Joseph prophesied that in the future members who now opposed tho Bill would wonder how it was that they ever had so doleful an opinion about the islands. He looked forward with complacence to the future solution of the government of these islands. On division, the second reading of the B’ll was agreed to by 43 votes to 13.