Visits Mangaia
pp. 66-67 · Read in the full issue
Cook Islands RC Visits Mangaia
From Our Mangaia Correspondent THE simultaneous arrival here of the NZ Navy frigate, “Hawea.” and the MV “Maul Pomare,” on June 3 was an event in local maritime history. Both ships stayed overnight, and left in the late afternoon next day.
There was a curious combination of hard work, for the men of Mangaia, at the lighterage and loading (with local oranges) of the “Maui Pomare”: and for the womenfolk the entertaining of Jack ashore.
Arrangements were hasty but effective, and the Navy lads enjoyed their day upon this island. Sports arranged in cluded football and tennis matches.
Passengers rounding the lower islands of the group were the Resident Commis sioner of CI, Mr W. H. Tailby and Mrs.
Tailby, who is President of the Cook Islands Girl Guide organisation. Occa sion was taken to hold a parade and in spection of local Guides, which was attended by the full strength of the Mangaia force, and called forth praise from Mrs. Tailby, for smartness and effi ciency.
The Resident Commissioner, after deal ing with official business, visited local residents and the newly-chosen native King, Tangi Ariki, who succeeds his brother, the late Mateke Ariki.
The Resident Commissioner tells us that the Administration has an ambitious programme for Mangaia. This “five year plan” includes the deepening and im proving of the canoe channel that is our only means of crossing the formidable coral-reef that fringes the isle, plus an arrangement for the diversion of heavy surf-waves that, it is hoped, will ensure fairly calm water in the channel even with a rough sea outside.
Other improvements include an aug mented water-supply, first-class roads to the inland plantations, a local hospital, and possibly an airport. The Adminis tration will spend large sums of money on these projects, and employ local labour upon them, to the advantage of the native population.
THE matter of “gassing” the oranges is to be discussed later. Mangaian pre judice appears to be lessening in re gard to this long-standing dispute. It is argued, by those who can judge, that treatment of our oranges will give these a better chance on the NZ market, by reason of the longer keeping qualities of “gassed” oranges, plus the killing of des tructive spores on rind and under the pith of the fruit, where it joins the twig. This twig-end was once, in the days of the use of secateurs, left on the fruit: but nowadays oranges are merely plucked off the trea leaving a depression in the skin of the orange which affords easy entry for organisms causing spoilage. About 14 years ago, it was routine here to fumi gate export fruit with the fumes from cyanide balls dropped into a bowl of acid, a large canvas being used as a cover.
Only a small number of cases could be fumigated at a time by this method, and it was later abandoned.
Under modem methods it might pay the islanders to give the gassing shed at least a trial, and coming deliberations of the Island Council will consider this matter.
The Resident Commissioner is anxious to provide the islanders with a better in come for their exported fruit, by making use of the most up-to-date methods of packing and handling CT oranges, which are Mangaia’s sole means of earning the money needed for a reasonably civilised standard of living. The curio market “flopped” when the Pacific War ended,
and there is nothing to be looked for in that direction to-day. Coffee exports, though present prices are good, are too limited to be regarded as a major pro duct. Arrowroot comes into the same category, and candlenuts appear to be off the buying market entirely—it would be interesting to know why the demand has ceased. As these three sidelines were not discussed during the RC’s visit, it appears that they are of no importance now, all the emphasis being placed upon oranges.
One hopes that the Mangaian planters, who are enjoying a good demand for their products at present, in view of the dying-off of trees upon other islands, will not make the error of assuming that there will never again be competition by other parts of the Group, where new planted groves will soon be coming into bearing.