A.—3

10

No. 12. Sir,— Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 23rd June, 1904. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 93, of the 30th May. I would submit for your consideration that the Tamangaro whom you quote is merely an impudent policeman who simply represented the larrikins of the island, and that it is inexpedient that any notice should be taken of him, for the following reasons: — That there are already good roads in Mangaia, extending from Ivirua to Tamarua, a distance of twelve miles, and beyond these points there is no settlement, by reason of the nature of the country. Moreover, as "there are not more than four or five carts or buggies on the island, the roads already made hardly require repair, and no other roads are requirea at present. That in Rarotonga, and all other islands of the Group, the roads have been made and are kept in repair by the landholders at their own expense. This lias been the custom from the most ancient times, and is now the law under the Au Empowering Act. All that the Government find is material and skilled labour for bridges. If money is to be spent on roads in Mangaia the people of the other islands will, with justice, resent that fact, and will no longer do the work that they have from the earliest times considered to be their duty and right. That whatever money there may be to spare for Mangaia will be required when the boatpassages have been made, for we shall then have to build a stone pier into the lagoon. Further, I would submit for your consideration that Mangaia is an island from which no revenue whatever has hitherto been "derived. They deal direct with New Zealand for goods which have paid duty at that place, and the exports from the island are, as a rule, so small that the tonnage for the whole year barely exceeds that of Rarotonga for a single good month. In conclusion, I would report that applications like Tamangaro's are almost invariably the work of interested white men, who hope to benefit by an expenditure of public money. Ido hope to make a cutting through the Makatea into the centre of the island, but this cannot now be undertaken, for there are other works more urgent. 1 have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissionei The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister for the Islands, Wellington.

No. 2,

No. 13. Sni,— Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 24th June, 1904. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 114, and vegi't t that I shall be unable to obtain a plan and specification of the proposed accommodation bouse by the time of the return of this steamer, as Mr. Connal is at present away surveying lands n<Vch are to come before the Court advertised to sit on the Ist day of July (see Gazette No. 13i\ I will, however, see that all possible information is sent, to you by the next boat. I would point out that we have at present so much work on hand that we could not under any circumstances commence this building before the end of October. The really pressing work is as follows: A house for Mr. Large, at Mangaia, and at least ten days' survey of the mission lands, which will include thirteen miles of ro?d. A survey of the tribal boundaries of Mauke, in order to prevent religious difficulties on that hbuid 'ourreen days' work. Lastly, there is the doctor's house at Rarotonga, which we cannot even commence until the schooner arrives. I need hardly say that for all this work I have but the one man, Mr. Connal. to supervise, and keep our Maori workmen up to the mark. The above-men iioned are mere' \- items in the work that includes many months of survey and Land Court, both at Ai.iuaki and Rarotonga. To build an accommodation-house sufficient for present requirements a vote of £1,000 will be required, and the old hospital buildings can be used as a residence for the lessee, so as to leave all of the new rooms for the accommodation of tourists or other boarders. I have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H. Mills, administering the Islands, Wellington.

A.-3, 1904, No. 203,

No. 14. g IR Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 25th June, 1904. In reply to your letter No. 119, of the 11th instant, I have the honour to inform you that I do not think that any arrangement that could be made in New Zealand wirilo, be satisfactory here. In the first place, the payment of passages and the clothing to:oh wcv.M be required for the New Zealand climate would be altogether beyond our people's mea,:< ; So a>;o_ would the payments to the schools for board and tuition be beyond the means of this ac .ir o.'.'.;::ft:orj.. I would point out, also, that Mr. Hall is a certificated teacher of very grey; e.oi'.i.y. and that, to my mind, no better education is required for a Cook Islands community than can be obtained at Tereora. I assume that the only purpose of education is to fit people to their environment, and not to unfit them for the same," and, if this be so, then more harm than good might be done by sending boys to New Zealand, for it could have no other effect than to make them dissatisfied with their present circumstances. I have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H, Mills. Minister for the Islands, Wellington.

A.-3, 1904, No. 210.