A.—B

24

Rahotonoa Local Ordinance No. 6.—Water-supply Reoulations Ordinancb, 1907. Am Ordinance in reference to Water-supply at Rarotonga. Be it bnactkd In the [eland Council of Rarotonga as follows: 1. The Short Title of this Ordinance shall be "The Water-supply Regulations Ordinance, 1907." 2. It shall be lawful for the Resident Commiesioner to make, alter, or repeal regulations in connection with the water-supply at Rarotonga, am! by such regulations to fix such nites, charges, and penalties as max l>v deemed necessary. Such regulations shall be published in the Cook hland* '.'>r.'tt<. ami when s<. published shall be deemed part of this Ordinance, and shall have the force of law. No rate or tax for the supply of water shall exceed one pound per annum for each dwelling supplied with water (exclusive of the oharges for the supply of pipes and accessories and for fitting the simie). :i. All rates, taxes, oharges, and other moneys payable by virtue of any such regulations shall form part of the general revenue of the Cook Islands Administration. Passed this 27th day of April, 1907. G. Savage, [Aaseated to by the Governor, 6tfa June, 1907.] Clerk to Council.

No. 18. Sir, Cook and , other Islands Administration, Wellington, 7th June, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th April last, forwarding Federal Ordinances No*. 1!> and 20, relating respectively to the landing in the Islands of persons Buffering from contagious diseases, and the jurisdiction of Resident Agents' Courts; and also Rarotonga Island Council Ordinance No. 6, relating to water-supply, for the assent of His Excellency the Governor. In reply I beg to return herewith the Ordinances duly assented to by His Excellency. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. James McGowan.

BOAT PASSAGE'S THROUGH REEFS. No. 19. gm Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 2nd July, 1906. 1 am in receipt of your letter of the 27th May with reference to boat-passages through the reefs at Mangaia, Atiu, and Mauke, and note the difficulty you anticipate in having this work done effectively. A- Mr. Connal purposes visiting Mauke in report oi, the work there, I think the whole questioti had better stand over until his recommendations arc l>efoiv me. The petition mi this subject from residents at Mangaia, which was forwarded with your letter of the 6th March, was duly forwarded to the late Premier, to whom it was addressed; but apparently he was not able to deal with it before leaving for Australia, and tile papers have now been returned to this office. I'nder the circumstances you hud better inform the petitioners accordingly, ami say that the question will be considered when the Government Engineer has reported on it. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. C. H. Mills.

No. 20. Sm, Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 30th October, 1906. I have ihe honour to forward copy of a letter received from Mangaia with reference to the boat-passage through the reef : also copy of my reply thereto. I shall be glad u> be informed whether anything further lias been done since your last letter on the subject. ' hrtve > &c > The Resident Commissioner. Rarotonga. James McGowan.

No. 21. Dear Sir,-- Mangaia, 18th October, 1906. We. the undersigned residents of Mangaia. beg to lay before you the many difficulties we labour under in shipping produce off this island, and hope that you will lake -tcp- to have matters made easier for the shippers in the future. Owing to the boat-passage being still uncut, and die great Lnorease .>f exports by each steamer from 150 tons a war formerly to 160 to 250 tons per month at the present time; —it is a risky undertaking to get all ihis cargo on board with only canoes to work with, when with a patwage cut in the reef we could work with Imats without the risk of loss of life .ml damage to cargo. Row the fruit arrives on board more or less wet. and being put in the hold in Ihis st ite it spoils in a very short time, consequently a greal los> to the producers. All the cargo has to !«• carried across the reef in canoes and taken alongside the steamer, where they run great risk of being capsized or swamped getting off. We may also state that it is a heavy drain on the Natives to keep a sufficient number of suitable canoes on'hand to work the cargo, as owing to the hurry and bustle at steamer-