Cook Islands

Events Of The Month

From Our Own Correspondent RAROTONGA, September 14.

THE yacht "Vileehi,” from San Diego, called here on August 29, en route to Penryhn Island, on a pleasure cruise.

It is understood her owner, Mr.

Horton, very kindly carried mails for the northern group, and in addition offered to report by wireless any mat ters concerning administrative and commercial affairs requiring urgent attention at the outer islands

Special Copra Shipment

Some 500 tons of copra were ship ped by the “City of Orleans” (Roose velt Charter) which arrived at Raro tonga on September 5.

The two inter-island schooners have been collecting copra from both the northern and the lower group for disposal, while the price was showing a tendency to rise.

Precisely at the moment the local shipment was all aboard, Press Asso ciation News came through to the effect that the graph line on copra had plunged downwards to £10/5/per ton —a drop of 17/6, practically overnight. At the same time, a whale that had been cruising round the island for some days calmly “spouted” —a painful reminder of whale-oil.

In August, the motor-ship, “Haur aki” (Union S.S. Co.) stopped off the port to land a stowaway from Papeete who had counted on getting a free passage to Auckland.

It seems that yachts and steamers have formed the habit lately of call ing here on Saturday afternoons, the island half-holiday, to the mild con cern of those connected with business and port activities.

The customs and medical officers and the Manager of the Union Steam ship Company and staff frequently have their private plans upset on the sudden arrival of ships on that after noon.

Business Quiet

Business is dead. According to all accounts it is not improbable that one of the island schooners will lie up. The trading community view the coming months with some apprehen sion.

The Union Company announces the abandonment of further trips this year of its New Zealand-Cook Islands fruit-boat, the S.S. “Waipahi.” For some time past, local business people have reluctantly been cutting down on their wage outgoings—dismissing some of the staff and putting others on half-time.

A severe pruning down to meet the depression overhanging the scene of Government in New Zealand has been effected in the Administrative person nel. Medical and education seem to have been chiefly affected.

Despite their isolation, small island communities are in the melting pot with the rest of the outside world.

The only palliative immediately in sight is the much-talked-of possibil ity of the cost of bread and butter and rents coming down.

It seems almost hopeless to ask: Will fruit revive? Will pearls be worth diving for again? Will the copra trade boom as it once did? Some even ask the question whether the San Francisco mail-boats will be run ning on this route next year. In a word, there is nothing much in sight until New Zealand “turns the corner” and this issue probably depends on the course of events in the world’s market place—London.