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No. 3. Mr. F. J. Moss to His Excellency the Goveenoe. My Loed, — Cook Islands, British Residency, Rarotonga, 23rd July, 1896. I have the honour to inform your Excellency that the Federal Parliament met on the 6th instant, and to enclose copies of the following papers laid before them :— (1.) Opening speech of the Government. (2.) Statement of revenue, 1895-96. (3.) Statement of expenditure, 1895-96. (4.) Statement of account, 1895-96. (5.) Message respecting future management of hospital. (6.) Message respecting a wharf store. (7.) Return of births, deaths, and marriages, July, 1895, to June, 1896. The statement of account shows a balance of £481 7s. lid., but certain payments have been made for hospital and schools under resolution of the last session. These payments have to be provided for in the estimates of 1895-96, and reduce the available balance to £263 12s. lOd. Various Bills and other papers have been laid before Parliament, but I defer reporting them till they have been dealt with. The returns from the officers who register births, deaths, and marriages in the several districts show the following results as compared with those of previous years : — Births. Deaths. 1892-93... ... ... ... ... ... ... 157 137 1893-94... ... ... ... ... ... ... 216 151 1894-95... ... ... ... ... ... ... * * 1895-96!!. ..'. ... ... '.'.". '.'.'. '..'. 242 202 These returns are too incomplete as to age, sex, and other details to be of value, beyond showing a surplus of births as compared with deaths, and leading to the reasonable hope that the population is, at the least, no longer decreasing. I have, &c, His Excellency the Earl of Glasgow, G.C.M.G. F. J. Moss.

Enclosure No. 1. From the Goveenment to the Pabliament of the Cook Islands. Salutations ! Again we welcome you to a new session, lay before you the work done in the past year, and recommend certain things to be done in the year to come. The Bevenue £ s. d. From all sources for the year ending 30th June has been ... 1,428 17 8 The balance on hand on Ist July, 1895, was ... ... ... 493 10 11 1,922 8 7 The Expenditure For the year, including over £500 on hospital and schools, has been ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,441 0 8 The outstanding liabilities of all kinds to date are ... .. 217 15 1 1,658 15 9 Leaving an available surplus of £263 12s. lOd. with which to begin the present year. The Imports For the year have been ... ... ... ... ... 25,665 0 0 The Exports Of Cook Island produce have been ... ... ... ... 17,026 0 0 And of produce from other islands, and merchandise re-exported 3,694 0 0 £20,720 0 0 Full accounts and returns will be laid before you. The Hospital, for which you made provision last year, was opened on the Ist May, under the medical care of Dr. Caldwell, M.D., lowa. We are glad to say that it has been used freely, and will, we hope, be of great benefit in the time to come. The arrangements made with Dr. Caldwell terminate at the end of September, and it will rest with you to make provision in the estimates for the present year in the usual way. Schools. The aid given by you in providing school furniture and fittings has been taken advantage of by Rarotonga, in which three free public schools for teaching in English have been established. The salaries of teachers and other expenses are paid by the people of Rarotonga, whose Council has levied an education rate to provide the requisite money. We hope to hear that the other islands of the Federation will also take advantage of your liberal provision and open free public schools for teaching in English by taxing themselves to pay the salaries of the teachers and current expenses.

• No return received.