RAROTONGAN VISITOR

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 5

RAROTONGAN VISITOR

GUEST OF NATIVE MINISTER. PARAMOUNT CHIEF MAKEA. Making his third visit to New Zealand, Makea Tinearu, paramount chief of the Cook Islands —makea is a title of distinction —spent a few days in Auckland last week in the course of a visit to the Dominion with his daughter, Mrs. Love, as the guest of the Minister in charge of the Cook Islands, Sir Apirana T. Ngata. He has also been the guest of the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, with whom he stayed at Rotorua. He was last in New Zealand as a representative of his people on the occasion of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. Makea Tinerau is chairman of directors of the Earotongan Fruit Company, is a ,

member of tho Island Council, and is keenly interested in progressive agricultural methods for the welfare of his people. He was therefore given special facilities by Sir Apirana Ngata to see what is being done in settling Maori communties on small holdings. On Sunday, says the Herald, he expressed himself as much impressed with the good work being done in this direction. Conditions are so different in the Cook Islands, however, that the same methods would not apply there. One practice, however, that could with much advantage be more widely adopted on Rarotonga is the use of fertilisers. The 1 natives are inclined to regard putting manure in the ground as waste, but having seen the remarkable results that follow from its judicious use, Makea Tinerau will use his influence to persuade his people to avail themselves of fertilisers much more than they have been doing. The chief crops on Rorotonga at present are oranges, bananas and tomatoes, and on all these manures could be most beneficially used.

While In Auckland the chief was a i most interested spectator at the fruit 1 market, where he saw the way in which 1 Island fruit is handled and disposed of j < at auction. On his return to Welling-1£ ton he will study the handling of Rarotongan' fruit at the market there, and hopes to be able to gain information that will be to the advantage of the Island trade. Durino-. his Auckland visit Makea Tinerau was accompanied by Mr. E, A. Reid, , who, after 20 years in Rarotonga, has just retired from, the position of director • of agriculture in the Cook Islands. ' Though hampered by lack of funds, Mr. ■ Reid says, the department has been doing , good, work in raising the standard of . cultivation and generally improving the , production of. the Islands. The prosi pects are that the coming season is j going to be a good one. J Copra making has largely been nban•l doned now on account of the lowness of ; the price, and the people have to depend on their oranges, bananas and tomatoes. The chief difficulty they have to contend

with is tho keen competition in New Zealand from Sydney oranges and Tongan bananas. Rarotonga, Mr. Reid says, could produce sufficient oranges to supply all the wants of New Zealand.