A.—3

2

Tabi.k B. —Population of Cook and othkr Pacific Islands rkcentli i\< mi>ki> within thk BOUNDARIES OF TIIK COLONT.—[I9O2.] PSNOBB. Rarotonga .. ... ... ... .. ... ... 2,060 Mangaia ... ... ... ... ... 1,541 Atiu ... ... ... ... ... ... 918 Aitutaki ... ... ... .. . 1,170 Mauke (or Parry Island);.. ... ... ... ... 370 Miriaro ... ... ... ... ... 165 Hervey Islands ... ... ... ... . . ... Id Total Cook Group ... ... ... ... ... 6,234 Niue (or Savage Island) ... ... ... ... .. 4,07!) Palmerston .. .. ... ... . ... ... 115 Penrhyn (or Tongareva) ... ... ... ... 445 Manihiki ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 484 Rakahanga ... ... ... ... ... ... 400 Danger (or Pukapuka) ... .. ... .... ... ... 505 Suwarrow ... ... ... .. ... ... ... 3d Total other islands ... ... .. ... ... 6,058 Total population of islands included within the extended boundaries of the colony ... ... ... 12,292 2. FUTAHOB. —The revenue of the Cook and Northern Islands for the year 1906-7, including the balance brought forward, amounted to £9,840 7s. 4d., while the expenditure amounted to £6,416 6s. 6d., leaving a balance to carry forward of £3,424 os. 10d. The revenue of Niue, including the balance brought forward, amounted in £3,238 10s. lid., and the expenditure was £1,238 14s. 5d., leaving a l>;ilanee to carry forward of £1,999 16s. 6d. Full details of the revenue and expenditure are given in the annual reports of the Resident Commissioners. 3. Imports and Exports.—The import and export returns of the Cook and Northern Islands continue to be satisfactory, and display a substantia] increase for the year 1906-7. The returns for the two years are as follow: — 1906-7. I(HJ."> 0. £ i Imports ... ... ... ... ... ... 41,437 36,993 Exports ... ... ... ... ... ... 45,925 34.5i11) The bulk of the trade was done with New Zealand. ton . . , lul . ~ The imports and exports <it Nine are as follow:— £ £ Imports ... ... ... ... ... .. 5,680 5,674 Exports ... ... ... ... ... ... 7,958 7,545 4. Public Works.—A considerable number of public works have been completed during the year. In the Cook Group, the principal of these are —concrete bridges a< Ngatangiia and Avatiu ; mountain water-supply, Avarua; reservoir and bathing-place, wharf and shed. Aitutaki; and planting cocoanuts, Takutea. I have sent two hand-drills to Mangaia, and I hope that the muchneeded boat-passage through the reef there will be put in hand at once. At Niue the principal works undertaken have been the construction of reservoirs for the storage of water. 5. Education. —The educational requirements of the Islands are met by missionary effort. The lxmdon Missionary Society has established village schools in the various islands, and the Roman Catholic Mission and the Seventh-day Adventists are also maintaining schools, though to a less extent. The London Mission bus six schools in Rarotonga, three in Mangaia, four in Aitutaki, one in Atiu, two in Mauke, one in Mitiaro, two in Penrhyn, two in Manihiki, one in Rakahanga, one in Pukapuka, and one in Pahnerston. There is also a boarding-school at Tereora, which has between sixty and seventy boarders. The teaching in this institution is more advanced than that in the village schools, and it may be considered in the light of a secondary school for the Islands. I have not yet received particulars showing the number and location of the schools under the control of the Roman Catholic Mission and the Seventh-day Adventists. I am satisfied that the New Zealand education system is ttol suitable to the Islands. The existing system should be strengthened and maintained, but no radical change should be made at present. The most pressing need appears to be in connection with the training of teachers, and I hope, with the assistance of the Resident Commissioners and the Mission authorities, to concert such measures as will enable the teachers to receive a thorough training before they are placed in charge of the village schools. 6. The Schoonkr "Countess of Ranfuiu.y."—The Government has decided to sell the schooner " Countess of Ranfurly," as she is running at an annual loss, and dops not meet the trade requirements of the Islands. It was anticipated that the experiment of running :\ vessel owned by the Government would prove more successful than results have shown ; but, nevertheless, it must be conceded that the schooner has been of much service to the Group by keeping freights down and collecting the produce of the outlying islands. The T>]aml Administration both at Rarotonga and