Radio Licence Fee In
pp. 49-50 · Read in the full issue
Cook Islands
From Our Own Correspondent.
Rarotonga, Feb. 26.
ALTHOUGH European residents in the Cook Islands admit that they are lightly taxed, they are up in arms about the radio licence fee. The annual fee is 30/-, in return for which, they say, they get nothing.
It is almost an impossibility to tune into any New Zealand station while
there are so many powerful American stations on the air. Even if it were possible, few Islands listeners would do so—they prefer the programmes from the United States.
There have been many individual protests, but no satisfaction has been received from either the local Admin istration or the N.Z. Government, New Zealand’s other foster child, Samoa, has an annual fee of only 5/-.
The Samoan people say that even this is too much when nothing is given in return.
Mr. W. D. Carew, a British Judge of the New Hebrides Joint Court, reached Sydney in February by the “Pierre Loti” from Vila to spend furlough in Aus tralia.
Mr. and Mrs. G. F. Ellison, who have lived for many years on Taveuni Island, Fiji, arrived in New Zealand in February to reside permanently in the Dominion.