Cook Islands Unrest
pp. 37-38 · Read in the full issue
NZ LABOUR SOLOMONS SEEK FOR CAUSES OF
AFTER the Communist-influenced Cook Islands Progress Association had come close to actual war with the Cook Islands Workers’ Union (a quite moderate Trade Union of native waterside workers), and following inter vention by a plane-load of police hastily sent from New Zealand, two delegates from the NZ Federation of Labour (Messrs. K. McL, Baxter and W. B. Rich ards) went to Rarotonga to examine the situation.
The following is a summary of their report, which appeared in “New Zealand Herald” on October 12.
The report, which has been adopted by the national council of the federa tion, states that throughout negotiations with the Cook Islands Industrial Union and the Cook Islands Progressive Asso ciation the policy of the Administration was referred to continually and was sub jected to adverse criticism by the island ers. It became obvious to the two dele gates, as in a previous visit in 1946, that the Administration had not the confi dence and respect of the people. The recent disturbance on the waterfront at Rarotonga had enhanced the mana of the leaders of the Cook Islands Progres sive Association and lowered the prestige of the Administration.
The report states that the master and servant relationship was in the embry onic stage in the Cook Islands. The native tribal landowners in the main group derived the greater part of their income from the export and sale of tropical produce, but for more than 100 workers in Rarotonga who were divorced from their tribal lands in the outer islands, the master-servant relationship was a very real condition. The interests of these island wage workers were thwarted by those paying allegiance to the seml-nationallstic Cook Islands Pro gressive Association. The leaders of this latter organisation failed to appreciate the historical fact that with the growth of pakeha ways, machines, exports, im ports, prices, profits and wages, came the union of workers.
In a detailed study of conditions in the islands the report adds that the interests of the orange and tomato growers, 90 per cent, of whose working time is de voted to producing from tribal lands and 10 per cent, to loading and discharging ships and schooners, found expression through the association. The interests of the wage workers employed in stores, on public works, and as plantation and
wharf labourers, found expression through the Union, which was registered in July, 1947. Disputes over the loading of ships caused feeling to run high be tween the two groups.
Editorial Note
ONE is not impressed by the perspic acity of the Federation delegates, as made evident by this report.
It is so easy to blame the local admin istration in such circumstances; but, under the kind of Socialist-cum-profes sional politician rule which Australia and New Zealand enjoy at the present time, the administrators of Islands Territories are given very little power and discre tion. They merely carry out the wishes of their political bosses. There is only one way to rule Islands races—by the man on the spot, with strength and firm ness, based on justice and tempered with a tolerant understanding of Island’ habits and traditions.
Ever since the NZ Socialists took office, they (like the Australians) have been encouraging the introduction to the
Islands of the institutions peculiar to the Socialist way of political life, and especi ally Trade-Unionism. There is no place for Trade-Unionism in Islands communi ties—but, of course, one could never ex pect to convince Federation of Labour delegates of that.
It is sheer nonsense to blame the local Administration for the Cook Islands trouble. The blame lies, primarily, with the NZ framers of policy, who encourage “organisation” among Cook Islands natives. A competent Administrator, left alone bv Wellington to do his job, would never have allowed those mischievous agitators to carry on their activities in the Cooks in the first place. Once that weakness developed, everything else, in cluding the near-riot, and police inter vention, followed logically, as a matter of Course.
Mr. S. Hurse, of Tasmania, will succeed the Rev. W. F. Paton, of the Presbyterian Overseas Mission, in the New Hebrides.
Mr. Hurse will be ordained next year and is not expected to leave for the Hebrides for some months.