Makatea Still Needs

Cooks Labour

rHE latest Cook Islands report shows that 243 Cook Islanders employed on the French hosphate workings on Makatea at larch 31 —a fact that does not lacate the non-Maori critics of the ;heme.

Critics have always taken the view sat these men should be employed i developing their own Islands, and lat it is a disgrace that New Zea md should provide cheap labour ir a French company. Others earlier riticised the living conditions pro ided at the island.

The situation has changed since le first Cook Islands labour gang ent to Makatea, and is now in vesting.

After the loss of Nauru and Ocean lands to the Japs in World War ;, Makatea remained the only ;arby source of high-grade phos late for the farm lands of Aus alia and New Zealand. Phosphate as an essential part of the Allied ar effort, the output of foodstuffs ling directly proportional to its railability.

For a variety of reasons—one of lich was that the French Oceania ople did not want to work on the it and dusty Makatea job—there is a severe shortage of labour. New laland saw the solution in the )ok Islands. The idea was sug sted, and the people were keen go. There never has been any ggestion of compulsion. The pay is, and is, very substantially ;her than labourers receive in the icks. rhe Cook Islanders proved ex llent workers, ashore in the “ex iction” area, and in handling the sket-laden lighters and the ships’ nches. Loading at an open chorage, they can put 200 tons an ur into a ship, hour after hour, anything like reasonable sea and ell conditions. That figure is well excess of the discharge rate ing the best of gear alongside a w Zealand or Australian wharf. \t first the accommodation was t good, but it was better than my of the Islanders were used to home. Investigations were made d the conditions were improved, ey are now very good.

U first, wives went along with J men, but later this was stopped, stringent medical examination of recruits is made before departure d on return, at Rarotonga, jointly the Cook Islands medical author ;s, and by the French phosphate npany’s medical officer. All are rayed before and after their term Makatea. jabourers receive only a portion ;heir money in cash on the island, e Administration sees that an itment is paid to dependants back home each month. The rations

are such that each man can brine home a substantial quantity when he completes his term y Proof that conditions are very good according to Cook Islands standards is given by the fact that men want to return again and again, and there is always a waitiSg are 1 the and the Administration sees it al bringing wealth into the Territory The present Resident Commissioner has made an on-the-spot examination of Makatea conditions and has found no fault. me oniy doubtful change since the scheme commenced-and some think it an important one — is that, since shortly after the war, all except an insignificant part of Makatea’s quarter of a million tons

of »nrmai . iaf2f?^H oUtput bas been going to New Zea ' c all£ V Wl j h Nauru and 6 o res °^ ed ’ and Christ added 1S C £ «« i supplies now for has no present need Makatea phosphate.

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