COOK ISLANDS

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 August 1936, Page 5

COOK ISLANDS

MISSION. After six weeks in the Cook Islands, the Parliamentary delegation, which* has been investigating the conditions of the fruit industry there, returned to Wellington yesterday. “We were remarkably successful in achieving what we went to do,” said Mr J. Robertson, M.P., the chairman of the delegation, in an interview on arrival. The party comprised, in addition to Mr Robertson, Mr S. G. Holland, M.P., Mr C. L. Hunter, M.P., and Mr S. J. Smith, secretary of the Cook Islands Department. Their visit to the Cook Group was made in continuation of the Parliamentary inquiry set on foot some months ago by the hearing in Wellington of petitions from Rarotongan fruit-growers. Mr Robertson stated that the investigations involved not only hard work, but even hardship and actual physical danger. The visiting and inspection of plantations, packing sheds, shipping facilities, orange juice factories Land stores occupied many days. Manlkf the plantations' were situated at of long valleys and narrow gorges winding back into the mountains, and visiting all these out-of-the-way places meant days of arduous tramping over very rough tracks. “I don’t think any of us are likely to forget the difficulties and risks of getting aboard the ship again at Atiu,” said Mr Robertson. “There are a great many reasons for the unsatisfactory .state of the fruit industry, ’ ’ he went on. ‘ ‘ There will have to be a lot of reforms before any permanent improvement cam be achieved. In the outer islands one of the worst features is the lack of shipping facilities. “Some people think of the Cook Islanders as a careless, lazy race. our experience was otherwise. We found them decidedly industrious. They impressed the delegation by their cleanliness and cheerful disposition. The men, if giy'en a lead, are hard-working, and Ithe women equally so. They are a Whanhing and lovable people, and avcll assisting. delegation has come back loaded ww 1 gifts and carrying messages of love grid goodwill to the people of the Dominion from their brown and white fellow-citizens of the Pacific.”