Rarotonga

Nz Police Sent To

Red CIPA Tries to Control Shipping Industry In Cooks

A PARTY of police, sent from New Zealand by air, arrived in Raro tonga, Cook Islands, in the first week of March, to prevent members of the Cook Island Progressive Association continuing a campaign of lawlessness.

The CIPA, which consists mostly of natives under the leadership of a man named Albert Henry, and which is sus pected of Communist associations through the Auckland waterside workers, prevented the unloading of the Union steamship “Wairuna”, when it arrived from Australia and New Zealand on March 1.

There are two organisations in the Cook Islands —the CIPA, and the Cook Islands Industrial Union of Workers. The latter, which includes regular waterside workers, was prepared to work the “Wai runa.” The CIPA, which claims exclu sive rights regarding industrial affairs, would not supply labour for the steamer and, by carefully organised picket lines, succeeded in preventing other men from working.

The “Wairuna” carried only a small quantity of foodstuffs for Rarotonga, and so it sailed without unloading.

The steamer “Wairata” sailed from Auckland for Rarotonga on March 3, with a heavy cargo of essential goods for the Cook Islands; end the NZ Government immediately took steps to protect the waterside workers who were prepared to handle the cargo there.

The nolice left Auckland by NZ Air Force Dakota on March 6, and ap peared to be in command of the situation in Rarotonga before the “Wairata” arrived.

Great satisfaction has been expressed in the Cook Islands that at last the Gov ernment has taken steps to curb the CIPA, whose silly activities have caused inconvenience and dislocation of normal business life. It had been allowed to interfere in local government for far too long.

The CIPA, under Henry’s leadership, is trying to prevent all ships except those owned or approved bv CIPA from opera ting in the Cook Islands. It obtained some hold over a vessel called the “Rosa lie,” but lost it again before it really got going. Now the CIPA is trying to get another ship, and calling unon its mem bers for £9,000 of the £lB,OOO required.

On account of CIPA’S obstruction, the “Tirara Tanoro” was unable to land sup plies at Mangaia in December (her last call before the hurricane season closed the island to ships) and, as a result, the February mail plane from Samoa to Rarotonga had to fly on to Mangaia and drop urgent medical supplies by para chute.

Off Again —On Again!

AUCKLAND, March 9.

When the 12 police, under Senior Ser geant Willis Brown, reached the airport at dawn on the sth, they got orders to go home again. The Prime Minister had had word from Rarotonga that the Pro gressive Association and the Union of Workers were trying to settle their dif ferences.

But, late on the sth, the police were ordered to leave on the 6th. And they did so. They reached Nausori (Suva’s airfield) that afternoon; and they were to leave Fiji for Rarotonga the follow ing morning.