Marriage And Divorce In

The Cook Islands

From Our Mangaia Correspondent IT does not seem to be generally known that in NZ’s dependency of Cook Islands, one may contract matrimony at a total expense of 7/-, and, in the regrettaable event of the union proving a failure, dissolve the contract for a further fee of 26/-. The lowest divorce charge, this writer believes, in the world.

There are, however, snares in this Cupid’s Garden.

To begin with, only actual residents of the islands may marry; and in the event of one partner being a European (the man, usually) he must satisfy the authorities that the marriage is not merely a scheme to get the Polynesian bride’s land. If there is any suspicion, the arrangement can be vetoed by the Administration.

Where permission is granted, Europeans and Polynesians are alike subject to the Cl laws that govern marriage, and the annulment of unsuccessful ventures (the proportion of failures is, however, not great; most Cl marriages end in domestic solidity and a large family.) The wedding ceremony may be per formed by a pastor (or priest) or by the Resident Agent in his capacity of registrar. The usual 3 days’ notice is required, and the certificate is signed in triplicate one copy for the bride, N 0.2 for the Mission and the third for the authorities.

The 26/- divorce is granted upon two grounds only prolonged absence, con structable as desertion; and misconduct proved by a “cohabiting” fine. (One of the most inconvenient conse quences of local divorces is seen when a Cl divorcee makes application to re marry. Even where the person, native or white, was the innocent party in the late action for annulment (a Supreme Court job, by the way, necessitating a visit from the judge from Rarotonga) his (or her) bid for renewed respectability meets a rude shock: no divorced person, innocent or guilty, may be re-married in a church.

The LMS usually arranges for the new marriage to be solemnised in the Mission reading-room; and the ceremony is, of course, fully legal. Oddly, if the divorcee’s second partner wed under the foregoing restrictions, should die, wedding number three may take place in church, the person being then regarded as a takaua, or bachelor!

The very low fees demanded are, of course, the Administration’s concession to native poverty. In the case of a resident European applying for annulment of his

marriage, he is, if decree be granted, very much on the right side of the ledger, seeing that the untying of matrimonial knots is a very expensive business indeed, in most parts of the world.

Were Cl divorces available to- mere visitors, renowned Reno would have to look to its laurels!

Mr. E. H. Craig, accompanied by his wife, and six weeks’ old son returned to his plantation at Samarai, Papua, by the “Montoro,” which left Brisbane on Jan

uary 16. Mr. Craig said life at Samarai would suit him even if there were no films or the postman did not call every day. His plantation, according to Mr.

Craig, was just the same as when he had left it. He had refrigeration and most of the modern conveniences in his home.

Mr. Craig’s mother and aunt also left by the “Montoro.”

Mr. V. C. Gabriel, manager of Burns Philp’s Samarai (Papua) branch, travel led on the “Muliama’s” January trip to Samarai direct from Sydney.