TOPICS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12425, 20 April 1926, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

I FROM THE COOK ISLANDS ADMINISTRATION AND TRADE INTERESTING COMMENTS (“Times” Correspondent.) VISIT OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL ' RAROTONGA, March 30. The inhabitants aio already preparing to receive the Vice-Regal Party who are due to arrive at Rarotonga during the first week in May, and in keeping with custom the representa* live cf the Sovereign will be welcomed with loyal and affectionate greetings, ilt is several years since a GovernorGeneral has visited us, and great regret was felt that such a distinguished personage as Earl JeUicoe should have come aud gone without visiting this part Of the Dominion. OBITUARY The sad news reached here of the death of Miss Poko Browne, the second daughter of Mr and Mrs W. P. Browne, of Nikau. Miss Browne was a girl of a bright and cheery nature, and widespread sympathy is extended to her parents and family circle jat her demise when on the threshold of womanhood. She was in New' Zealand at a sanatorium making steady progress towards restoration of her health when die was taken with a sudden attack of hemorrhage, and passed away. The news was a severe blow to her people, who were exj peeting her home for the visit of the : Government party. The Re*\ H. ; Bond Janies conducted a private ser- | vice at her parents* residence at the corresponding time of her burial at ! Petone, and among those present w’as I Judge Aj’son. ! EDUCATION A new system of training junior staff native teachers is being inaugurated, and it is now possible for those/ with proficiency passes to qualify by examination for positions up to £2OO per annum, which gives our local talent some objective. DENTAL CLINIC A clinic ha 9 been established iu. connection with our medical service, and Mr Rice, a dentist from New Zealand, is in charge. t Two probationary nurses ; Miss M. A. Taylor, lately of the teaening staff of the Titikaveka School, and Mists H. Savage, from our local clinic, are at Wellington undergoing a course of training, upon completion of which they return for service with the administration for a term of not less than three years. SPACE ALLOTMENTS This hardy annual has again od, and considerable hardships are rife. * '

Growers were urgently canvassed and told to pick all they could, and after having done so they were refused space in lots of cases, and the price has been lowered now the fruit is picked. The total space available is roughly 10,000 cases, of which half goes to the traders and speculators, while three firms control one-third of the total space. Some are doing the'right thing and dividing their allotments among their clients, but others are using it solely in the interests of their business, forcing growers to sell to them at controlled prices. This happens when there is a demand for fruit and a limitation of space, but when, no demand then the firms insist upon growers consigning and taking all the risk. On top of refusing space to clients some of the firms charge 8 per cent, and 10 per cent, interest on. monthly balances where there is any substance. WELLINGTON CALL Information is to hand, although growers have no notification, that the Ngakuta is to call at Wellington first port, in April, and afterwards cm all subsequent trips, makes Auckland first port. She is supposed to continue on down" to Wellington and back again to Auckland for ordinary loading. Growers don’t want the Ngakuta and will be easily persuaded that there are grave risks in consigning to south via Auckland, therefore there will be no need to continue on the journey to Wellington, and thus the highly successful service to Wellington will he abandoned. Having got the Wellington call abandoned, the Auckland combination, in conjunction with the traders at the Islands, will control the southern markets. Fruit will be either bought for trade, at controlled prices, just about the cost of labour, nothing for fruit, or forced on consignment, in which case it will realise probably less, certainly no more. As the system of marking fruit cases from here deprives the owner the recognition of ownership, the hill of lading being merely an order on the consignee for a certain number of cases, irrespective of owner’s marks, there is no means of identifying fruit at destination, growers being entirely in the hand* of the New Zealand agents. STATE ENTERPRISE If State enterprise can be worked to advantage anywhere, that where is Rarotonga. Transpose the combines into the State and procure a good boat, 1800 case capacity, 12 small passenger accommodation, second-class only, and while the growers would get payable prices for theiT fruit and at reasonable rates, the steamer would pay, and the New Zealand public should get oranges at Wellington and Auckland at Is 6d to 2s per dozen, allowing retailers 100 per cent, profit, while inland towns would have to pay a little more. Even go the length of State retail shops for the sale of our produce. Relief is imperative, and the State is our only chance of defending ourselves against the trusts working against us. PROFITEERING Although section 32 of the New Zealand Board of Trade Act 1019 has been in force in the Cook Islands since 1921, and the present resident coratnissijner has prepared and brought in the Cook Islands Traders and Industries Regulations by Order-in-Council made in September, 1923, and Lnc.e laws have to some extent been a brake upon profiteering, yet there is no doubt that unduly high prices obtain in some stores to some clients. No firosmuL.ons have as yet been made, ‘ tit just now the resident commissi mer has in hand an inquiry into the price of bread. ADMINISTRATION The resident commissioner, Judge Ayson, is a capable man with 100 » er cent, energy and ambition for ilie velfare of the group, and altii.uudi le oas the full confidence \.i the Ministci and the New Zealand Government, vet there are always -:omc ’nfim-.nccr and undercurrents at work to heip to nrili-

fy his efforts, which havo always been directed towards tit- betterment of conditions all round. For example, from ti ne to time alien file trading comm imty get their feathers ruffled, agitations are engineer?.!, and the commissioner gets generally abused, in fact it seems to bo part of the programme, for every has had to stand adverse criticism, whether merited or not. Temporary residents, even of tho best intentions, are commonly used by malcontents and per. sons with an axe to grind as a medium of conveying misleading information back to New Zealand, and New Zealanders and particularly politicians should appreciate this fact and c.iscount their stories accordingly.