Gambling on Paradise
p. 27 · Read in the full issue
Paradise
Although the New Zealand Government is decidedly unhappy about some aspects of it, the Premier of the internally-self governing Cook Islands, Mr.
Albert Henry, has been negotiat ing with an unnamed American syndicate which wants to lease Aitutaki island (pop. 2,600), 140 miles north of Rarotonga, for 21 years, as a tourist resort. The deal would involve use of the island’s wartime airstrip and erection of a gambling casino, and would return up to SNZ6 million a year to the Cooks.
Major NZ concern is for air rights in the Cooks to be re tained by Air NZ, and NZ has power to defend these and also to turn thumbs down on the leasing proposal if it so desires.
Mr. Henry talked with the NZ Government in Wellington about the proposal in Septmber before going on to the South Pacific Conference in Noumea.