31

A.—B

" One of the greatest problems here, as elsewhere in tropical countries, is the training of the teachers, who, with the exception of the head teachers, and in some cases their wives, are Natives. A definite system is, however, in process of development, and it is hoped in the near future that all present teachers will have had refresher courses of training, and that all beginning teachers will pass through a course of training at a central school in Rarotonga, the administrative centre. Considerable foresight has been shown in the drafting of regulations dealing with the size of classes, so that the teacher load is being gradually reduced to manageable proportions. In order that the academic status of the teachers may be still further raised, the most promising child in the upper class of each school is sent to New Zealand for further education. This practice is also of value in that bright pupils who are likely to be of value in filling administrative posts are thus given commercial and technical education fitting them to be wireless operators, motor mechanics, printers, clerks, &c. " Here, as elsewhere, it is realized that, if education is to serve its highest purpose, the curriculum must be ever in the process of adjustment. This is especially necessary where the impact of a higher civilization upon a Native race produces such rapid, and sometimes baffling, changes in the economic, social, moral, and educational conditions of the latter. In the case of the Cook Islands, the view that the Native will have problems of increasing difficulty to solve led to the adoption of the English tongue as the medium of instruction. At the same time effort has been made to keep the materials of instruction closely related to the life of the islands, so that the future citizen may be well adapted to live a useful and happy life in the islands themselves. The manual arts are occupying a larger and larger share of the school time, while increasing emphasis will be laid on the importance of health as a basis of all education. In so far as they are valuable to the aims of education, Native arts, folk stories, songs, games, and dancing will be gradually introduced into the curriculum, so that much that has been peculiar to the genius of the Polynesian and has assisted in his conquest of his environment may be thereby saved to posterity." 7. Industries. A list of the exports for the year 1925 will best serve to show the industries of the islands Bananas .. .. 78,453 cases. Taro .. .. 4 cases. Oranges .. .. 177,396 ~ Grapefruit .. 12 „ Tomatoes .. 25,348 „ Cucumbers .. 4 „ Pines .. .. 704 „ Lime-juice .. 8 casks. Mandarins . . 462 ~ Coffee .. .. 10 sacks. Brazilian cherries .. 6 ~ Coconuts .. 3,446 gunnies. Lemons .. .. 416 ~ Copra .. .. 2,250 tons. Kumaras .. .. 139 ~ Pearl-shell .. 125 ~ The value of these exports was £155,000. Only a small part of the area of the Group available for planting is utilized. All kinds of tropical products grow readily on most of the islands, and the amount could easily be raised to many times the present amount except for the difficulty of getting them on shipboard. There are no harbours in the Group, each island being surrounded by a fringing reef, over which everything exported has to be carried on the backs of the Natives, and then loaded on whaleboats or canoes and carried off-shore to a sailing-schooner or steamer, which meanwhile has to lie off and on. The cost of loading vessels is tremendous per ton, and is only done by arduous labour. Year by year the Resident Agents are getting a case or so of dynamite and gradually opening up channels through these reefs, facilitating loading of vessels. The Natives quite cheerfully give their services to aid in this work, realizing that it makes their life easier. 8. Economic Life. The Cook-Islander works hard : In evidence I offer numbers of inguinal hernias seen by me. This is a rare condition among Natives of the Pacific. On the Cook Islands the Native lives away from his gardens, and by the time he has picked his crops and brought them to the shore, and then carried them out over the reef and loaded them on the vessel, he has well earned what he receives. In consequence one does not see so many fat men as in the rest of Polynesia. Probably the incentive for much of this labour is the same as that of civilization —the desire to have modern comforts, and especially the desire to dress the womenfolk as well as one's neighbour does. In addition the man has usually to do a lot of the cooking and other housework. The natural consequence is a rather fat lot of women, who, speaking relatively, have about the easiest time of any womankind I know. The islands are fertile, and native products grow abundantly in return for little effort. One sees ripening oranges, and on the same tree blossoms for the second crop the same year. Native foods —yams, taros, bananas, kumaras (sweet potatoes), manioca, and many fruits are profuse. Small sucking-pigs are valued at 10s. In the taro swamps grow eels that have the most delicate flavour of any fish I have eaten, especially those from Mitiaro, which are sui generis. Near many islands fish are abundant. These islands, and especially Aitutaki, nearly approach the average man's conception of the ideal Pacific island. Land cannot be bought from the Native, and can only be leased, with the consent of the Government. This is increasingly difficult to do in any large amount, as the Native realizes the possibilities. There is little freehold property among Europeans. Three firms principally have trading-stores on each island, and there are independent traders on many islands who are usually dependents of these firms. The Maoris here are getting away from their ancient communal customs and becoming more individualistic, though there is no poverty or hunger.