Tokelaus To Be

Part Of New Zealand

THE remote and tiny Tokelau Islands or Union Group, will, from January 1, become part of New Zealand.

Since 1916, although the Tokelaus have been administered by New Zealand through Western Samoa since 1925, they have been officially a British possession.

The Group consists of three main islands, Pakaofo, Nukunono, and Atafu, all of atoll formation. The total land area is about six square miles, and they lie 300 miles north of Samoa. They were administered by the High Commission for the Western Pacific, together with the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. But they were awkwardly placed from an Ad ministrative point of view and New Zea land, in 1925, was asked to take over.

Warships from the New Zealand station occasionally visited them, as also did the Administrator of Western Samoa. For the most part, however, the people were governed by their own chiefs.

The present population is about 2,000.

The people speak a dialect of Samoan, and they are quiet and noted for their hos pitality. Their only contact with the out side world is through Apia, their port of entry, by small cutters.

Chief industry in the Group is the mak ing of copra. They also excel at mat weaving and other native handicrafts.

Although the Group will become part of New Zealand, the existing laws of the islands are £o continue and the statute law of New Zealand will not be applicable unless expressly stated.

This year the Group was given its first official postage stamps, through the

benevolgnce of the New Zealand Govern ment. If philatelists respond as they have in the past to stamp issues made by other isolated Pacific islands. New Zealand’s new territorial acquisition should not im pose any strain on the Dominion ex chequer.