Titles Sought

Investigation of Cook Is. Land Titles Sought

A PETITION presented to NZ Parlia ment on August 28 requested that a judge of the NZ Native Land Court be sent to the Cook Islands to in vestigate land titles and to record native customary laws.

The petitioners stated that there are hundreds of applications for succession and investigation of titles not yet heard by the Rarotongan Land Court. Some have been standing for 10 years and ap plication fees have been paid to the Administration, The action of the Land Court in chang ing the customary native laws without consulting the people is resented, and it is alleged that loss of land and titles to the true owners has occurred in several cases.

It was also stated that the people have no means of appealing to the NZ Supreme Court against any judgment of the Rarotongan Land Court, on account of the cost involved.

Mr. L. Abell, mining engineer at Vatukoula, Fiji, was in Melbourne in September, on furlough.

Sgt. Richard Cardew, who was a mem ber of the First New Guinea Quota of the AIF, recently received his commission and now is an Intelligence Officer in the Middle East. He saw service earlier this year in both Greece and Crete.

Mr. H. G. Carter, director of Rabaul Electricity Co., recently visited New Guinea and Papua. He made a journey to Misima Island in Eastern Papua to in spect the workings of Cuthbert’s Misima Goldmine Ltd., with which he is connected.