ISLAND COMMUNICATION

Southland Times, Issue 19100, 19 November 1923, Page 5

ISLAND COMMUNICATION

WIRELESS FOR COOK GROUP. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 17. Following upon the recent visit of the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare (Minister in Charge of Cook Islands) to those islands, when the necessity for linking them up was placed before him, the Minister brought before Cabinet yesterday the question of the installation of wireless plants at the islands of Aitutaki and Mangaia. Cabinet approved of the erection of a wireless station at each of the islands at a cost of £9lO apiece. The stations will give district communication with Rarotonga, which has a first-class radio station for communicating with the outer world. This will be a great boon to the people of the two islands in question, which during the hurricane season are not visited by boats for three or four months together.

The Cook Islands Department has now got three scholarship pupils from Rarotonga who have completed their course at St. Stephen’s College, Auckland. These lads are staying at the Y'.M.C.A. Hostel in Wellington, and being trained in wireless telegraphy at the Wireless College for work in connection with the two new stations at Cook Islands.