THE COOK ISLANDS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12604, 21 September 1906, Page 9

THE COOK ISLANDS.

ANNUAL REPORT,

(srKCIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, September 20The annual report on tho Cook and other Islands was presented to the House to-day. It is prefaced by a memorandum from the late Minister in charged of the Administration (Mr C. H. Mills), from whiich the following is extracted:—'"The Government has decided not to do anything in the direction of imposing a duty on fruit imported into New Zealand from 'foreign , islamds, but it reccgwi&es the desirability of offering some encouragement to the Cook Inlands fruit trade, and oonraderation is now being given to the question of what form tho -assistance shall take. A fruit inspector has been appointed at JRarotonga. No alteration lias yet been effected, in the steamer service betweon New Zealand and the Islands. Tenders were called for a service from Wellington to Niue and Rarotonga, via Norfolk Island, Noumea, New Hebrides, Fiji, and Tonga but no tender was accepted, and the project lias been abandoned for the present. Other propceals for securing improved commuJiicatLon with the Cook group are now being considered. The schooner Countess of Jtlanfurly has continued to run. betvdfeon New Zealand and the Islands, and her trips during the year 1905-6 aggregated 16,000 miles. The expenses of running the vessel have materially decreased since Captain Champion took command, and her returns for the past year show a very satisfactory improvement. Two years ago arrangements were made for the Islamds Administration to repay in instalments the oest of the schooner to New Zealand, and £1000 has already, been paid. The revenue of the Cook and Northern Islands for the year 1905-6 (including the balance from the previous year) was £10,249, and the expenditure £5455, leaving a credit balance of £4793, in addirt ion to which there is an amount of £979 owing to the Government in respect of land titles Court fets outstanding, making the real credit balance for the year £5773. The revenue and expenditure for Niuo for the same period were respectively £1640 and £998. and the total funds to tlho credit of the Nine Island Administration on 31«t, 1900, amounted to £2246. The value of the exports from the Cook and Northern Islands ibr 1905 was £36,993, whilo the imports amounted' to £34,890. For Niue the values were £9652 and £5674 respectively. ~THE STEAM SERVICE. Colonel Gmlgeon, in his report, says: "With reference to t"ie proposal to establish a fortnigjhtly steamer service between Rarotonga and New Zealand ports, calling alternately at Auckland and Wellington, I have to point out that it ie by no means certain that euch a service would benefit these islands, except perhaps during the months of May, June and July. Tho present arrangements for the transport of island produce are really supplementary to the Fiji trade, neither service interfering directly ljitili the other. It is, however, felt that the second steamer may disorganise a system that hae worked very smoothly for the last two or three years, and that at least one of our shipments must come into conflict with that of Fiji, to the detriment of alii parties. If this should prove to be the case, and I do not see how it can be avoided, the planters, both European and native, will cease to ship by that boat. ,.