Is. By-Election

Next, He'll Be Premier

Albert Henry Has

Easy Win In Cook

Is. By-Election

From W. H. Percival, on Rarotonga The leader of the Cook Islands >arty, Mr. Albert Henry, had an

:asy victory in a by-election on

uly 9 for a vacant seat in the

rook Islands Legislative As

embly.

SE defeated the former Leader of Government Business, Mr. D. C. trown, by 1,353 votes to 523, and so ecame eligible for appointment as le first Premier of the Cook Islands nder internal self-government.

The by-election followed the resig ation from the Assembly of Mr. lenry’s sister, Mrs. Marguerite Story, dio was elected for the Te-au-o 'onga constituency on Rarotonga in general election on April 20 ( PIM, lay, p. 7).

Mrs. Story’s aim in contesting the ;at was purely to reserve it for her rother, who had been debarred from ontesting it himself by a residential ualification.

This residential qualification was Itered early in June by legislation itroduced in the New Zealand Par ament, which acted on a request ■om the new Cook Islands Assembly ) make it possible for Mr. Henry to ;and for the Assembly ( PIM, July, . 37).

New Constitution

The Assembly, which met for ;veral days in the first half of May, ill reconvene at the end of July to dopt a constitution giving the Cook dands internal self-government. A render will then be elected, and e will announce his Cabinet.

The Premier will undoubtedly be Ir. Henry, whose party has 14 of he 22 seats in the Assembly.

A few days after the by-election, Ir. Henry, leading members of his arty, and the NZ Resident Com lissioner, Mr. A. O. Dare, left n a tour of Miti a r o, Atiu, lauke, Mangaia and Aitutaki in the Ikatere to meet the people and dis- Liss their problems at first hand.

Addressing a packed hall two

nights before the by-election, Mr.

Henry said the outer islands had been neglected in the past, and the new government intended to rectify this.

On Mangaia, he went on, he in tended to talk to the people about a possible airstrip; and on the other islands he would discuss agricultural problems.

A soil biologist would visit Aitutaki in August to determine what crops could be grown there successfully, while Fruit Distributors Ltd. of NZ were interested in the planting of bananas on the island.

Economic development plans for Mauke and Atiu were under way and it was hoped that coffee grown on Atiu would be ready this year for local consumption, Mr. Henry added that as the Cook Islanders tended to isolate themselves into small groups, they must learn to mix, understand each other and work together to make the Cook Islands a good place to live in.

Meanwhile, there are mixed feel ings among the Europeans on Raro tonga on how things will pan out under Mr. Henry.

Most of the Europeans are tem porary residents —NZ public servants, school teachers and employees of the trading firms—as only a handful of Europeans have made the Cook Islands their home.

Most of the permanent European residents are sympathetic towards Albert Henry and the CIP, but the majority of the transients are hostile.

In the case of business people their hostility can be understood as there is talk of price control, and there is apprehension about a wholesale or ganisation, Polynesian Agencies (Cook Islands) Ltd., which Mr. Henry established in March, 1964.

Some NZ imported officers seem to fear that Albert Henry will be come a dictator after he becomes Premier.