Buildings

Cook Is. "Costly”

Buildings The Other Side of the Picture

'From a Special Correspondent)

Rarotonga, Feb. 10.

|N reading the article “New * Zealanders for the Cooks,” in December PIM, local residents sre surprised to discover that eir territory had been invaded “flocks of excursionists” dis ised as public servants.

While it is true that the Euro an staff of the Administration ,s expanded in recent years to pe with increased activity in the Ids of education and citrus ’ming development, it is very true to state that many of these ropeans could, at the present le, be replaced by local men. h actual fact, the European staff the Administration is only 9 per it., the remaining 91 per cent, ng Maoris. It has always been ; policy to replace NZ officials ;h Maoris where practicable, n the last two years, 24 Maori cers were appointed, and of the ee Resident Agents in the rthern islands two are Maoris, i the remaining European may ssently be replaced by another inder. h spite of major developments constructional and agricultural leres, the number of European cers employed over the last two irs has remained unaltered.

DOK Islanders were also dis turbed to learn that “vast sums of money” had been ired into magnificent residences soft-living officialdom.

'hree houses of coral-lime con action, and one of concrete, re been built, and a fifth is al st completed. These are the y houses built by the Adminis tion in the last 30 years, and •e erected to replace old build s no longer usable.

'wo of the four timber houses at airstrip, built by MOW for the Department, have been upied by Administration men, now the houses are required in by the Air Department, thus msifying the housing problem, a addition to the five new dences, two others were pur sed, the inclusive price for all Idings being £21,729, or £3,104 h. The locally developed method ame construction, where the use costly imported material is stically reduced, is the chief son for this modest figure, lore houses will be necessary the education and orange de >pment schemes are to go ahead, veyors and co-operative develop it officers show an odd re- '

uctance to bring their dependants rom comfortable NZ homes to larotongan shacks of kikau and lacking-case timber. °IORAL-LIME and local basalt U chips were also used ex tensively in building the new ‘ublic Works Depot, some miles ut. Critics of the location over >ok the nearby metal deposits and rusher site, the advisability of icating a Works Depot away rom residental areas, and non vailability of other sites.

The depot’s joinery factory lanufactures furniture and school ijuipment for the 15 islands of le group; a motor repair shop jrvices all Government vehicles nd tractors used in the orange evelopment scheme, and concrete uilding blocks, pipes, telegraph oles, etc., are cast here for Islands se. There are also tradesmen’s lops, shipping stores, main stores nd offices. The complete Depot as produced for only £27,169.

Criticism, when just and con ductive, is welcomed. But that used on guesswork and miscon jptions can help no one.