FEDERATION AND ANNEXATION: PACIFIC ISLANDS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH RESIDENT, RAROTONGA. [In continuation of Parliamentary Paper A.-3, 1894.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1894 Session I, A-03a

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1894. NEW ZEALAND.

FEDERATION AND ANNEXATION: PACIFIC ISLANDS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH RESIDENT, RAROTONGA. [In continuation of Parliamentary Paper A.-3, 1894.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

EEPOET ON THE TEADE OF THE COOK ISLANDS FOE THE YEAB ENDING 31st DECEMBEE, 1393. Shipping and Navigation. The entries during the year (Table I.) have been : Inwards, eighty-three vessels of 19,013 tons; outwards, eighty-three vessels of 19,071 tons. Of these, the mercantile tonnage inwards was 18,208, against 14,752 of a similar tonnage for the year 1892. The increase is due to the more frequent visits of the mail-steamer " Eichmond." The smaller sailing-vessels show a decrease of 942 tons. The " Eichmond" brings cargo from Tahiti as well as from New Zealand, but the French and American vessels from Tahiti show an increase of 160 tons for the year. During the year, the schooner owned by the Penrhyn Island Natives has been transferred to their own island, which is a British possession. This leaves three schooners owned by the Natives of the Cook Islands and under their flag. The largest of these is the " Takitumu," built at Earotonga, entirely by the Natives, but chiefly of material imported from New Zealand. Her tonnage is about one hundred. The mail-steamer "Eichmond" has called regularly at Earotonga, both on her voyage to Tahiti and return to New Zealand, during the past year. The port charges continue as in my last report for 1892. Expoets and Imports. The currency of the Cook Islands being the Chilian dollar (nominally at its original value of 45., but actually current at 35.), a practice had grown up of valuing imports by converting the pound sterling of the invoices into a sum of five dollars. The exports, on the other hand, were valued at the prices actually paid—namely, 3s. to the dollar. To remedy this, an Act was passed in July last, by the Federal Parliament, to provide that imports should in future be valued in the dollar, at its current rate of 3s. Hence the import entries since July, 1893, are converted (in Table III.) into pounds sterling, at a different rate to those of the preceding half-year. It is hoped that the difficulty of the currency will be obviated altogether by the adoption of British money as the only legal tender; but this young Government is scarcely strong enough at present to deal with a question so largely affecting fixed engagements, and involving a rearrangement of prices in every department of trade. I have no doubt that the change will be made as soon as it is possible. There have been no additional duties, or other taxes, during the year; but the change in valuation of imports makes the duty paid 5 per cent., instead of 3f, to which it was practically reduced nnder the old system. Exports. The exports for 1893 (Table II.) were £19,668, against £20,336 for the preceding year. The decrease is only in pearl-shell, beche-de-mer, and copra, the produce of islands outside the Cook group, sent to Earotonga for export. The decrease for the year under this head was £4,086. The exports of Cook Island produce for the year show an increase of £3,418 on the total. The increase in the fruit trade is noteworthy, and it is capable of considerable expansion. The respective items of increase and decrease are stated in detail in the comparative totals included in the table. It is to be observed that the proportions of exports to New Zealand and Tahiti show a> considerable decrease to New Zealand (£3,323), but an increase to Tahiti of £2,654.

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The chief exports to Tahiti were, — 1893. 1892. £ £ Coffee ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,804 1,357 Copra ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,200 627 Cotton ... ... ... .... .. ... 2,122 624 ' Pearl-shell ... ... ... .. ... ... 198 Nil 5,324 2,608 Through Tahiti, these exports find their way to California and Hamburg. The figures are noteworthy, as indicating the efforts of Tahiti merchants to extend their trade with these islands, encouraged, no doubt, by the absence of similar efforts on the part of merchants in New Zealand during the last two years. I can only repeat what I have before said on this subject respecting the intrinsic superiority of most articles of New Zealand produce used in these islands to the meats and other produce sent from California, with which they have to compete. Imports. The imports for 1893 (Table III.) amounted to £19,284, against £16,249 for the previous year. From New Zealand there was a falling-off to the extent of £808 ; while from Tahiti there was an increase of £3,843. The respective totals were, — 1893. 1892. £ £ From New Zealand ... ... ... ... ... 10,187 10,995 „ Tahiti... ... ... ... . 9,097 5,254 19,284 16,249 The chief imports from Tahiti were :— 1893. 1892. £ £ Clothing ... ... ... ... ... ... 383 238 Eice and fancy goods ... ... ... ... ... 3,882 2,357 Provisions ... ... ... ... ... ... 328 337 Breadstuffs ... ... ... ... ... ... 720 502 Groceries ... ... ... ... ... ... 420 252 Timber ... ... ... ... ... ... 738 194 Hardware ... ... ... ... ... ... 916 373 Tobacco ... ... ... ... ... ... 208 132 Spirits and wines ... ... ... ... ... 191 73 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,283 767 9,069 5,225 The " Miscellaneous " include articles of which no separate account is kept in the entries; but, excepting perhaps in some descriptions of fancy goods, there seems little reason to doubt that New Zealand merchants could compete successfully with California and Hamburg, and retain the large proportion of the trade they have always held. Specie. In addition to the imports shown in the table, specie, in the form of Chilian dollars, has been brought from Tahiti during the year to the amount of $34,371, and from New Zealand, $506. During the year the returns show an export of specie to Tahiti of $9,100. This specie is sent to purchase produce in Earotonga, and is obtained from Tahiti by New Zealand as well as other merchants in these islands. Chilian coin is still the chief currency in Tahiti, and in the other French islands in the Eastern Pacific, although at a discount of 40 per cent, at present, in exchange for French money. The exports of the Cook Islands for the year being £19,668, against imports of £19,284, the balance is in favour of the Cook Islands, but not sufficiently to account for so large an excess of import over export of specie, £3,586. lam inclined to think that the export of specie is understated. There are no means of securing accuracy on this point. All that is certain is that, with the Chilian currency, buyers of Native produce are compelled to provide themselves with specie from Tahiti, at the opening of the coffee and copra seasons, to meet all possible demands. Postage Stamps. The new postage-stamps referred to in my last report have been issued during 1893, and consist of Id., 1-J-d., 2-|d., 5d., and 10d. stamps, bearing the likeness of Queen Makea, the elected Chief of the Federal Government. The remainder of the old issue on hand, when replaced by the new, have been destroyed, in accordance with the undertaking of the Federal Government with the purchasers of those stamps, from whom an appreciable addition to the revenue was derived. : Feedeeick J. Moss, British Eesident, and Agent of the New Zealand Government in all matters relating to Trade.

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STATISTICS, 1893. TABLE I. Report of all Shipping at the Port of Rarotonga (Cook Islands) during the Year ending the 31st December, 1893.

TABLE II. Exports of Produce from the Cook Islands for the Year ending 31st December, 1893. (Valued in Chilian Dollars at 3s. each.)

Memo. —Included in the above are pearl-shell, &c, from Penrhyn and other islands not within the Cook Group, to the ■value of £359 sterling.

Steam. Men-of-war. Total, 1893. 1982. Sailing. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. Inward; 805 British American French Native 22 1 7 30 2,363 120 556 1,353 22 13,816 1 45 1 7 80 16,984 120 556" ' 1,353" 55 8 3 29 14,990 336 180 1,626 Totals .. 60 4,392 22 13,816 1 805 83 19,013 95 17,132 23 1 7 29 2,462 120 556 1,312 4,450 22 Outwards. 805 45 1 7 2'J 17,083 120 556 1,312 53 7 2 31 British American French Native 13,816 I 1 14,835 294 120 1,728 Totals .. 60 1 805 22 13,816 83 19,071 93 16,977

Ma Quai rch :ter. . June Quarter. September Quarter. Dec Qui jmber irter. Total for 1893. 1802a cd 3 9 6 3 '3 ► a 3 & cj 3 'ca a ca 3 O" 3 '3 3 CO 3 9 B "3 a C3 3 9 oj 3 "cO > ■£. 33 a c0 a 9 3 > 3ofiee .. lb. 3opra .. cwt. "Jotton .. lb. [jimejuice .. gal. DraDges .. cases* Pearl-shell .. lb. Beche-de-mer lb. Fungus .. lb. 3ocoanuts .. hundreds Bananas .. bunches Vrrowroot .. lb. Dotton-seed .. tons Pine-apples .. Dther articles 4,425 1,387 10,376 2,756 666 $ 844 3,759 1,597 600 888 40,429 4,490 69,640 3,900 2,352 25,602 8,293 2,963 72 4,044 $ 8,525 12,176 10,367 702 3,036 2,947 152 127 90 1,011 106,998 3,412 27,407 2,241 3,714 803 72 1,820 $ 24,298 9,792 2,251 467 4,952 39,647 4,403 40,180 478 5,042 16,741 1,971 882 16 1,568 9,072 15 11,964 8 9,283 12,350 6,246 111 8,041 2,511 118 58 20 392 479 60 675 182 191,499 13,692 147,603 9,375 12,374 42,343 5,264 4,648 160 10,670 9,072 15 13,224 ft* 3 " 42,950 38,077 20,401 1,880 16,917 5,458 270 241 204 2,655 479 60 746 719 150,914 18,818 99,163 22,122 6,251 99,072 34,989 1,968 396 1,891 $ 32,179 50,570 15,358 5,45a 8.57L 18,896 2,251 105 489 492 Z.fttf 3*244 *811 56 94 441 *160 9 52 1*040 58 263 *60 4 222 8*636 *416 795 $135,572 "1 $8,560 £1,284 $39,454 $42,577 $40,526 $131,117 £5,918 £6,387 £6,079 £19,668 £20,336 * About 300 in each. To what Places Exported. 1893. 1892. few Zealand 'aliiti £ 14,307 5,360 £ 17,630 2,706 £19,667 £20,336

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TABLE III. Imports into the Cook Islands for the Year ending 31st December, 1893.

Approximate Cost of P _>_»•.— Preparation, nil; printing (1,375 copies), £3 ss.

Authority: Samuel Costall, Government Printer,.Wellington.—1894.

Price 3d

Chilian Dollars, Rated at 4s. each. Chilian Dollars, at New Bate, 3b. Totals. March Quarter. June Quarter. September December Quarter. Quarter. £ sterling. £ sterling. 1893. 1892. inimals .. Clothing Piece and fancy goods Provisions (salted and preserved) ireadstuffs and biscuits Groceries .. Spirits (Vines 3eer Pimber (manufactured and unmanufactured) .. ironmongery Cobaceo .. 3ther articles $ 166 552 5,064 1,755 1,284 1,713 518 7 9 37 1,326 8,185 2,218 2,725 2,405 280 192 431 2,574 3,780 652 3,307 V 117 2,955 20,167 4,480 3,329 4,197 594 46 2 2,604 3,748 375 3,398 $ 675 6,103 2,472 2,352 1,695 1,074 52 17 2,457 3,961 672 3,542 58 920 6,590 1,838 1,654 1,707 410 54 89 1,415 2,153 369 2,027 Nil. 729 5,841 1,534 1,562 1,735 324 25 153 501 1,784 425 1,636 706 1,202 407 1,621 $14,995 $28,112 $46,012 125,072 £19,284 £16,249 £2,999 £5,622 £6,902 £3,761 "Whence Imported. 1893. 1892. 'rom New Zealand , Tahiti £ 10,187 9,097 £ 10,995 5,254 19,284 16,249