NOTES FROM RAROTONGA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 66

NOTES FROM RAROTONGA.

fFnou Oue Own Cobbesfondent.) May 29. ' Owing to her having been docked and painted .while in New , Zealand last time, jfche Taviuni arrived a day later than usual on this occasion. She again brought a large cargo of goods and fruit boxes, and, after Biecharging, left' for Tahiti. The only passengers were Mr F. Digby Smith, agent jCT.S.S'. Company, and xvi'r W. H. Grove, jbhe latter going on to Tahiti with the object of- securing fruit shipments from that place. (When in Auckland" Mr Digby Smith received notice- of his removal to the Wellingifcpn office of his company, and only came tack here to return, by the same steamer, going straight on to Wellington to take ju.p his new position immediately. Both he end his wife will be goreatly missed here. •The purser of the Taviuni remains here for a month, pending the arrival of a successor to Mr Smith.

The London Mission Society's steam yacht John William6_ arrived on the 10th finsfc. from New Guinea, and, after making ft trip round the group, sailed for Penrhyn, SVlanabiki, and the other northern islands. She departed from her usual practice this -/time by taking freight for Aitutaki and iMana-hiki, consisting of supplies of flom* ■nd biscuit, meats, etc., for those islands Jtvhieh suffered so severely by the recent lrurricane. A great quantity of native food jwas also sent by her by the natives here, so that the John Williams left fully loaded. jShe took as passengers Lieutenant-colonel Gudgeon, who will hold the usual courts lat the various stopping places, and Mr T. R. Herd, Collector of Customs for the igroup, who will look into the Customs and (postal arrangements at the islands called at. fifois vessel is due back here again about )the 7th prox., and will then depart foilier headquarters in Sydney, via Fiji, Samoa, and the Gilberts.

I The .Countess of Ranfurly is now about due irom Maiden Island, and may arrive ~#t any .time. Wednesday, 10th inst., was observed as '1| public holiday, in place of Easter Monday, .•which could not be kept owing to the Arrival of the- steamer on that das'. Wednesday was a lovely day, and was made the occasion of picnics and drives by many. ' This day also happened to be the L.M. Society's May Day. which is always obseri'od «b the anniversary of the arrival of the first missionary, the Rtv. John Williams. TJio 'Ay- -ua School had a brca.k-up. with tl.c usual accompaujmcjii of scuss -iud rcdU-

tions by the youngsters and speeches and, compliments to the performers by their elders. Afterwards the children were treated to sports and a feast — a thing they are very partial to. The committee appointed to inquire into ihe fruit industry .with a view to getting a duty put on foreign fruit imported into New Zealand, so as to assist the Cook Group, forwarded its report, through Colonel Gudgeon, to the Minister in charge, and by last- mail received from him a memorandum of the quantity of fruit im-' ported into New Z&aland from all sources during the last few years, with an inquiry as to how much this group would be capable of supplying if a more advantageous market was open to it than is the oase at present. The committee held a meeting, and reiterated its previously-expressed opinion that all the fruit that is required by New Zealand can, in a very short time, be supplied from here. A report to that effect will be sent to the Minister after Colonel Gudgeon's return from the north. As it is, the export of , fruit from this island alone has increased at the rate of 50 per cent, to 100 per cent, during the last two or three years, and this year promises to show an even greater increase. There is great disgust among the numerous native- shippers and workers, and in fact all those with whom he has come in contact during the last three years, at the departure of Mr Digby Smith. One and all, from Queen Makea downwards, declare it is a shame, and that the tangata papaa (white man) in New Zealand does not know how well things in connection with the TJ.S.S. Company are going on (in contradistinction to the past), or they would not think of letting him leave. It is to be hoped that the new man, whoever he may be, will have as good a way of getting on with the natives, for it ie at times very difficult to get them to work if they do not feel inclined to; but during the last three years there has only once- been anything in the way of a strike among them, and that was during Mr Digby Smith's absence in the group. The white traders and residents are unanimous in testifying to the greatlyimproved methods of late years to those of a previous management.

ilr Weedon, the Queensland Government statistician, estimates that the population of Queensland at the end of March was 523,540, of which 288.327 are males. The ■exce=-. of births over deaths for the March ciuaitcr wa* 2040.