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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 78

Work Group and Tahiti. — New Zealand's Advantages — Value of Island Trade

page 17

[unclear: Work] Group and Tahiti.

[unclear: New] Zealand's Advantages

[unclear: Value] of Island Trade.

[unclear: ographical] position of New Zealand [unclear: h] as to bring her into close relation-[unclear: with] all the islands that dot the [unclear: m] Pacific, and it rests with our [unclear: been] and merchants whether this rela-[unclear: p] grows closer, or whether we lose [unclear: advntage] that it gives us. The is-[unclear: are] rapidly assuming an enhanced [unclear: in] There are several reasons why this [unclear: been]. One is the increasing importance [unclear: os] of the Powers bordering on the Ocean. Another is the anticipation early creation of a new world-[unclear: bfare] by the completion in a few [unclear: me] of the Panama Canal, which will usly increase maritime activity in [unclear: Specific]. And a third reason is the re-[unclear: able] industrial development that is on in many of the islands exploitation of the commercial [unclear: pities] of those portions of the earth's [unclear: had] till a few years ago proceeded slowly, but progress is now being [unclear: why] accelerated, and numerous com-have been, and are still bring, pro-[unclear: been] in Australia, in Great Britain, in [unclear: year], in France-almost everywhere New Zealand—for the cultivation [unclear: ber] and other products, for which [unclear: lands] are suited.

[unclear: The] Cook Group and half-n-dozen other [unclear: lds] in the neighbourhood have been an-[unclear: d] by us, and this would seem to im-[unclear: t] New Zealand recognises the posai-[unclear: s] of the islands, and that she means [unclear: play] some part in their future develop-But if that be so, there is little [unclear: bee] of that desire, and we are allowing which ought to be ours to be gar-[unclear: by] others. Australia sets a high [unclear: on] her island connection, which is to-[unclear: earth] over £2,000,000 per annum, and [unclear: ticipated], in consequence of the de-[unclear: presents] that are going on, that in a few [unclear: years] it will be worth £2,500,000 a and then be only in its infancy. Is not worth having? Compared with figures our island trade is insignificant, will continue to get smaller and smaller [unclear: s] our business people show a little [unclear: enterprise], and make some effort to [unclear: for] the requirements of these isles so to our shores.

The Cook Islands.

[unclear: Islands] is the natural market for the [unclear: of] the Cook Group, and these are [unclear: ally] the only islands in which New [unclear: ders] have been able to hold their But there, as elsewhere, a watchful eye requires to be kept on the foreigner who is trying hard to secure a footing. French trading seliooners make regular visits to the northern islandw of the group, but British schooner's are not allowed to make trading cruises to French-owned islands. Protests have been made against this one-sided arrangement, but to no purpose, and the French; while taking full advantage of our open-door policy, continue to keep their own doors locked against us.

The Cook Group receives its name from the fact of its having been discovered by the famous navigator. Great Captain Cook! One must go to the South Seas to realise what this single Englishman did. Spoken tradition and reverence for chiefs are strong in the islands, and time is always an indefinite matter. They talk in the Cook Group, in Tahiti, in Tonga, of "Tuti" and his times, as though the great sailor had visited those seas but 20 years ago; and tales of him are told by the old men in the long, hot, moonlit nights, as one sits under the dark eaves of the pandunus thatch, listening to the distant roar—

Of the breakers on the reef outside which never touch the shore.

Eight islands comprise the group proper, viz., Rarotonga, Mangaia, Atiu. Mauke, Mi-tiaro, Aitutoki, Takutea, and Mamtae (Her-vey). In addition to these, seven other islands—Nine (or Savage), Palmerston, Penrhyn, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Suwarrow, and Danger (or Puka Puka)—have been included within the boundaries of the group, or, rather, those of New Zealand, for the whole now form part of the territory of this Dominion. They were annexed in 1900, and Colonel W. K. Gudgeon was appointed Resident Commissioner, a post that the late Mr. F. J. Moss had previously held.

Rarotonga, which, according to some, is the traditional Hawaiki, whence the ancestors of the Maoris migrated, is the most fertile and valuable island of the group, and the finest in point of scenic attractions. It is a particularly good specimen of the volcanic order of islands, and the rugged grandeur of its mountain peaks and the variety and luxuriance of its vegetation combine to present one of the most picturesque [unclear: ncenes] that one could possibly find even in ail these beautiful isles of the South Seas. Attaining, as it does, a height of 3000ft, the island is well watered, and a belt of rich alluvial soil, varying from one to two miles in width, extends all round the mountains to the sea. The circumference of Karotonga is over 20 miles, and it will thus be seen that the area available for cultivation is by no means inconsiderable. At present the land is not being utilised to anything like the full extent of its possibilities, and it is a place that is worth the attention of those in search of suitable areas for tropical plantations.

page 18

On Mangaia, one of the largest islands of the group, being 30 miles in circumference, where are considerable areas of waste lands awaiting cultivation, as there are in nearly all the other islands, and there are prospects of rich rewards for those who redeem to usefulness this generous soil, making the fertile flats teem with plantations, the vacant valleys laugh with cotton or smile with coffee or with rubber, and the tropic wilderness to blossom like a garden.

With their great advantages of soil and climate these islands afford a splendid field for enterprise. For the growth of cocoa-nuts, bananas, and other tropical fruits—but particularly bananas—no islands are better suited. Bananas assume a leading position among the exports, and for the year ended 1906 (later figures are not available) the value of this item bad risen to £10,445, as against £8909 in 1905, £4150 in 1902, and £2494 in 1901. The value of the oranges exported to New Zealand for 1906 was also over £10,000, while the copra shipments to various countries totalled 948 tons, worth £13,387. A very satisfactory balance-sheet is presented by the Administration every year, showing a gradually increasing surplus, which for the year ended 1906 had reached £4793.

Messrs. Donald and Edenborough have a large establishment in the Cook Islands, and W. H. Grove and Sons and other Auckland firms are also represented. Donald and Edenborough have been connected with the inland trade for over 30 years, and were the first to open up steam communication with the Cook and several other groups. The firm, which at one time traded to Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, now confines its attention to the Cook Islands and Tahiti, where by dint of steady perseverance a large trade has been built up. The operations of Grove and Sons and others have likewise been successful. What Auckland needs are a few more firms of this kind to push New Zealand trade along in other islands.

Tahiti.

About 2200 miles to the north-east of Auckland, in the midst of the group known as the Society Islands, lies Tahiti, the pearl of the Pacific. With a length of scarce 35 miles, and a breadth of perhaps 12, it is not a large island, but its ten consorts in the constellation of the group are all of lesser size. Near to this cluster are three other groups—the Paumotu, the Marquesas, and the Tubuai, or Austral. All four in the division of the spoils of Polynesia have fallen to France. All might at one time have been ours. Tahiti, as everyone knows, was first evangelised by British missionaries, the first band being sent out by the London Missionary Society, in the ship Duff, in 1796, and the Tahitians in 1843 declared for British rule, but the offer of this almost priceless outpost was [unclear: spur] and this is the story of a great [unclear: many] islands in the Pacific where the British was asked for.

Although Tahiti and the other [unclear: in] that make up the Society Group [unclear: might] rendered immensely productive, [unclear: consis] as they do of volcanic ridges of [unclear: index] ible fertility and valleys watered by [unclear: able] dant streams, they have never [unclear: proved] much commercial value to France, and various times statements have been [unclear: and] that she is anxious to get rid of them, America, Great Britain, and Germany [unclear: had] in turn, been named as likely [unclear: purchase] But, though French colonisation in Pacific has not, so far, been a [unclear: sued] France is not likely to part with any of possessions in view of their [unclear: important] when Panama's isthmus has been [unclear: seved] On the other hand, she has shown [unclear: and] to secure more islands, and if the [unclear: New] rides do not ultimately fall into her [unclear: po] sion it will not be through lack of effort, persistency.

In addition to being the most [unclear: value] island in the Eastern Pacific in point off tility, Tahiti enjoys the exceptional [unclear: advan] tage of a regular steam sen-ice to San [unclear: fr] cisco, as well as to Auckland, and [unclear: thus] markets of the great American [unclear: Continude] in addition to those of New Zealand, available for her produce. But there are plantations and the colony makes no [unclear: he] way. The inhabitants of the place [unclear: seem] be infected with what Dr. Purdy has [unclear: call] the "taihoa bacillus," and idleness and [unclear: es] being the order of the day it is not [unclear: to] wondered at that Tahiti stands still.

The chief items of export are [unclear: co] vanilla, motlier-o'-pearl, and cotton output of copra in 1903 was 8500 [unclear: tons], 1905 6782 tons, and in 1906 6015 tons, trade of the Society Islands for 1906 [unclear: amount] ed to the gross sum of [unclear: £7.084], of which 46½ per cent, was absorbed by the [unclear: Union] States, 16¾ per cent, by the United [unclear: k] dom, 16½ per cent, by New Zealand! tralia, and the Cook Islands, 12½ per [unclear: cr] by France, and 6 per cent, bv [unclear: German] The total imports into Tahiti during 1909 apart from specie, amounted to £109,851, against £119,927 for the previous [unclear: ve] The United States heads the list with [unclear: g] to the value of £52,965. The United [unclear: King] dom sent goods direct to the value of [unclear: 655] while those from Australia (coal), and [unclear: New] Zealand, were valued at £28,449 [unclear: Import] from France and her colonies amounted [unclear: has] £15,072. New Zealand has practically monopoly in butter, salt and tinned [unclear: mean] and a good share of the trade in soap [unclear: sug] fodder, and miscellaneous articles.

Auckland merchants have allowed [unclear: mean] enterprising Australian firms to captare [unclear: that] Fiji trade, and must take care lest they [unclear: also] oust us from Tonga and other islands with page 19 [unclear: we] still do business. Why are we [unclear: ing] to take advantage of these oppor-[unclear: t] Merchants must answer this for themselves. These places wo [unclear: Scribed] are lands of promise, and if [unclear: on] fault that more of the milk and [unclear: dose] not flow our way.