A.—3

14

Feedeeick Goodwin to be Paymaster to Federal Government, Clerk and Interpreter to Parliament, Paymaster, Clerk and Interpreter to Earotonga Council, Government Interpreter, and Clerk to Ariki's Court. Appointments to date from 6th September, 1897. Approved. W. E. Gudgeon, British Eesident.—The Eesidency, Ist October, 1898.

No. 24. Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon to His Excellency the Goveenoe. My Lobd, — Cook Islands : British Eesidency, Earotonga, 7th October, 1898. I have the honour to forward copies of the following Acts passed by the Federal Parliament during the present session, and to request your approval to the first three, so far as the Island of Aitutaki is concerned:— (1.) " The Import Duties Act, 1898." (2.) " The Medical Officers Act, 1898." (3.) " The Public Health Act, 1898." (4.) " The Government Buildings Act, 1898." Your Lordship will observe that the first-named only of these statutes has been printed in proper form, and it may probably be more than a month before the slender staff of the local newspaper can print the remaining Acts. I have therefore deemed it advisable not to delay, but to send you a copy of the loi Karanga, wherein the said Acts are correctly printed. As to the Government Buildings Act, I have (after consultation with a deputation from Parliament) decided that it shall remain a dead letter for the present, inasmuch that it has come to my knowledge that the price authorised by Parliament is greatly in excess of the value thereof. The present arrangement is that we shall pay £1 per week for the use of the buildings, and definitely decide the question of purchase next year. The Medical Officers Act has been passed in order to secure the services of duly qualified-men, and prevent the competition of mere "quacks." No Act of the Federal Parliament can confer greater benefit on the Maori population than that which gives them an efficient hospital and free medical attendance. lam fortunate in being able to report that Earotonga has now two young and clever doctors, who will have medical charge of the group. The necessity of a Publie'Health and Quarantine Act has been demonstrated only lately, when the mission schooner " John Williams" brought a case of measles to Earotonga. Fortunately, Dr. Craig prevented communication with the shore, and thereby saved hundreds of lives. I regret to say, however, that a man was allowed to come on shore at Aitutaki, and may probably be the means of communicating the disease to that island. The Import Duties Act is a necessity of our present position, firstly, because it enables the revenue to be strictly and efficiently collected, and, secondly, it will provide the funds to carry out the Hospital and High Court Departments in the manner usual in such important institutions. I regret to report that during the past six months there has been a decided falling-off in the Customs revenue, due to the partial failure of the orange and coffee crops, and, as a natural sequence, a want of purchasing-power in the community. This is a state of affairs that may have to be faced for some time to come, until, indeed, some remedy has been found in the orange-blight. I have, &c, W. B. Gudgeon, His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand. British Eesident.

Enclosures. "The Import Duties Act, 1898." An Act to provide for an Increase in the Import Duties of the Cook Islands. Short Title : " The Import Duties Act, 1898." Be it enacted by the Parliament of the Cook Islands, with the approval of the British Besident, — 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be "The Import Duties Act, 1898." 2. The Import Duties Act (No. 2, 189 i), dated the sth June, 1891, and the Import Duties Amendments Acts (No. 3, 1895, and No. 1, 1897) are hereby repealed. 3. Earotonga shall be the port of entry for all goods imported into the Cook Islands, and no goods shall be landed other than at Avarua Harbour, except by special permit signed by the British Besident. 4. A duty of 10 per cent, on the original cost and charges till landed in the Cook Islands shall be levied on all goods imported : Provided always that personal effects —viz., clothing and furniture in actual use —to the amount of £50 sterling shall be admitted duty-free; also all articles imported for the purposes of education, or religious services. 5. The regulations made under the provisions of the Acts repealed by section 2 of this Act shall remain in force, excepting only those clauses that are contrary to the spirit of this Act. 6. Any person evading payment of import duty, or infringing regulations made under this Act, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding £100 sterling. 7. The Chief of the Government, with the approval of the British Eesident, may make such regulations as shall from time to time be found to be necessary for the proper administration of this Act, and these regulations shall have the force of law and form part of this Act.