FANNING ISLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9113, 19 December 1907, Page 2

FANNING ISLAND.

THE REGENT PURCHASE. Unit^l Pi M> Association— By Eleetri# \A T.l*m£hr-Q9jm&Kl)A (Received DecembCT 7L9, M a*»# '» SYDNjSY; December l& V.\ Mr Humphrey Berkley, who receitUya purchased Fanning Mand k* m vigiting Sydney, and in an interview,] Bas, "The nominal purchaser, 7p^tji«r B-OTigier, fe an intimate friend of n*4^*i«| In fact, he acted for m© in s the piißrf chase, which hasno reHgiQUQ or politdw cal significance whatever^' ' I was cxrigitt* ally halfowner of the island. Bd^if "Washington and Fanning Islands am included in the purohase, and I wanted, to determine the proprietorship either! by partition or sale, The Court decreed the sale. The island doe© not change! its flag. lam an Englishman- and tihd cable station, will always be ' Govern* ment property. The Mand? have *aev6_/ had any population for 1500 years, the only i^abit^nts tenday 137) South Sea Mandens, and between 29 and 30 cable operators. The regit%g| , l to the High Oonimissionfer has giyen al /certifies^© that the revenue from oo*pW in tho island i$ £8000 a year, exalu^W