Rarotonga Waterfront

No Sunday Work on

Sudden Attack of Religious Scruples Puts Island Fruit-grow ers on the Spot

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, May 19

IN future no ship will be worked in Raro tonga between mid-night Saturday and mid-night Sunday.

Shipping troubles recommenced with the beginning of the new orange season.

Prior to the first visit of the “Maui Pomare” in April there was much talk of not shipping oranges unless a further

increase in prices was forthcoming. This talk came to nothing, but there was a noted, tendency to go-slow in loading op erations during the time the ship was in port. .

The return of the “Maui Pomare” on Saturday, May 17, necessitated the calling of two special Council meetings to deal with a new development—the sudden re fusal to work ships on Sundays on what were alleged to be religious grounds.

At the first meeting one member sug gested that a possible solution might be to offer an increase of pay for Sunday work. After much discussion, during which it was pointed out that in many spheres of modem life a certain amount of Sunday work by some people was un avoidable, a radio was sent to the NZ Government requesting permission to offer an extra 2/- per day for Sunday work.

The second meeting which was called on the day the “Maui Pomare” arrived was informed by the Resident Commis sioner, Mr. W. Tailby, that the NZ Gov ernment had replied that it could not sanction the increase as that would over rule the findings of the wages tribunal.

Mr. Tautu Aneru, local secretary of the Cook Islands Progressive Association, was brought into the meeting for questioning.

He reiterated his original statement that the refusal to work on Sunday was purely on religious grounds and refuted any sug gestion that a desire for a further increase in wages was an underlying motive.

Money did not enter the matter. Those council members who had asked for an increase had done so against his know ledge or wishes.

Inquiries revealed that the objection to working on Sunday was not general in Rarotonga and many were quite willing to do so. Asked by the Commissioner what would be the result if those people willing to work on Sunday were invited to do so. Mr. Aneru replied that it would mean trouble. Asked for an explanation of this statement, he admitted that his organisation would provide the trouble.

The Commissioner then concluded the meeting with the announcement that the “Maui Pomare” would not be worked be tween mid-night Saturday to mid-night Sunday.

SOME members asked that a request be made to the NZ : Government to ar range the departure of the “Maui Pomare” so as to ensure that its time of arrival and working in Rarotonga would not include a Sunday. This obviously is a practical impossibility. The refusal to work ships on Sundays is likely to pro duce unfavourable results for the Raro tongans themselves. For a long time past, all interests have been clamouring for more shipping opportunities, foremost among these being tomato growers. In this connection the NZ Government has done its best in the only direction pos sible at the present time—the divertion of trans-Pacific vessels. It will not help encourage shipping companies to divert very busy ships to pick up Rarotongan tomatoes or other produce if it is known that a ship which unavoidably arrives on a Sunday will have to remain idle for nart or the whole of a day because of the Rarotongans’ sudden attack of “religious scruples”.

The natives of New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands have formed an associa tion to protect their rights, interests and responsibilities. President is Kowl Bouil lant, a native of Touho.

The recent census shows the New Cale donian population of 61,250 to consist of 18,510 persons classed as Europeans, 30,034 natives, 8,641 Javanese, and 4,065 Indo-Chinese,