May Control

Abolition of Cook Is. Dept.

Native Affairs Department May Control N. Z. Government Economy

From Our Cook Islands Correspondent

Rarotonga, April 28.

LISTENERS on the air recently re port an announcement by 2YA (Wellington) of the New Zealand Gov ernment’s intention, embodied in a Bill before the House, no longer to retain the Cook Islands Administration as a separate department, but to hand the work over to the Department of Na tive Affairs.

So much to the good if something can be saved on “overhead,” but it is hoped that a policy of cheese-paring will not follow, to the detriment of the native people of the group.

Visitors coming down from the States on the mail steamers en route to the Dominion and Australia, get their first view of the New Zealand ensign at Rarotonga. The native peo ple here are distinctly on the up-grade, but, if their means of education and medical attention are cut into too much, they will certainly go back and the flag will not fly so proudly over the group as it does to-day.

Private advice received during the month indicates that several promin ent officials of the Cook Islands Ad ministration are being retrenched.

The Resident Agent at Aitutaki, Mr. E. C. Villenoweth, whose appoint ment expired on April 9, has not been reappointed, but will be replaced by Mr. Luckham, lately Resident Com missioner at Nuie. This represents a substantial fall in salary for Mr. Luck ham.