A.—6

2

Statement of Assets and Liabilities, 31st December, 1920. £ a. d. £ a- d. Cash at bank 13,123 8 1 Cash in hand . . . . . . .. 56 15 2 Amount realized from German coinage .. 3,541 5 1 Suspense Account .. .. .. 967 9 8 Trust Account .. . . .. . • • • 672 4 0 Excess of assets over liabilities .. .. .. 17,016 14 0 £17,688 18 0 £17,688 18 0 NOTE.—An amount, which cannot be estimated, si ill remains to be paid by the Nauru Administration in connection with the maintenance of the wireless station at Nauru, as its share ol expenditure since 1917. Trade. The export trade of the island consists, with the exception of a small quantity of copra, almost entirely of phosphates mined on the island by the British Phosphate Commission, and shipped by the Commission to Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The imports consist almost entirely of food-supplies, and machinery for the British Phosphate Commission for use in connection with their works. Total Imports and Exports from 1916 to 30th June, 1921. Imports:-- 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. Value .. £34,548 £49,108 £55.840 £15.977 £109.119 Exports : — Phosphate'(tons) .. .. 105.012 101.267 76,440 69.336 149,609 Copra (tons) .. ..277 34 9| 124 189 The shortage of copra export in the years 1917 and 1918 was due to an unprecedented drought, during which many thousands of the coconut-palms (and other fruit-trees) died. It is hoped that by the establishment of drying plants, and an endeavour to get the Natives to thin out the trees, the output in the future will be materially increased. Shipping. Practically the whole of the shipping coming to the island consists of steamers under charter to the Pacific Phosphate Commission to carry phosphates to Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. and occasionally to Japan. The following shows the number of vessels entered and cleared each year from Ist January, 1915:— 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. Number of ships .. .. 59 43 46 34 34 52 Tonnage .. .. 136.754 115.633 109.181 82.780 89.575 129,289 Education. There are no Government or assisted Government schools on the island. Under German rule a small subsidy was given by the Phosphate Company to the Roman Catholic and Protestant Missions to encourage the teaching of German. The results, however, owing to the prevalence of pidginEnglish, were insignificant. • The Roman Catholic Mission has two schools—the resident missionary priest (a Swiss, with a thorough knowledge of English) being in charge, with Natives, who speak little or no English, assisting him. i i i j The Protestant Mission (formerly the Boston Mission, but recently taken over by the London Missionary Society) has no resident Pluropean missionary on the island, a Native pastor, with a good knowledge of English, being in charge, assisted by several other Native teachers, who have little or no knowledge of English, or of any language other than Nauruan. The daily average numbers of children attending the schools are : Roman Catholic Mission, 72 ; Protestant Mission, 170. Population. 1915 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. Europeans 1 f 90 86 88 88 91 Chinese . I No data J 278 195 136 134 599 South-Sea-Islanders other than Nauruans .. f available ) 449 384 241 275 227 Nauruans J 1.1.284 1,269 1,273 1.279 1,068 A serious epidemic of pneumonic influenza broke out in September, 1920, when 230 Nauruans, 99 South-Sea-Islanders, and 2 Chinese died. The Native public health of the island can only be considered as fair ; many cases of tuberculosis are met with, but malaria is unknown. It is possible that the gradual substitution of the platform type of Native houses for the sheds in which the majority of the people live at present will have a beneficial effect on the health of the island.