A.—3.

rains without damage. The road through Alofi Village has been repaired for a distance of about two miles. A gang was engaged for about two months on the road from Alofi to Mana Junction, which carries traffic from Liku, Lakepa. and Hakupu. These three villages supply the bulk of the copra, and will also produce a large share of the bananas, so an effort has been made to form a lasting surface on this road. It has been coated throughout with makatea, which sets hard almost like cement. With this work the motor-truck supplied to the Administration has assisted. A gang has since been employed at similar work on the road between Tuapa and Mutalau. Reservoirs.—New reservoirs of over 6,000 gallons capacity have been erected in concrete at Mutalau and Liku. The former reservoirs were all sunken, but after consultation with the Medical Officer it was decided to build in future above ground. An attempt was also made to provide a force-pump for a deep waterhole at Hikutavak.e, but after a few weeks' use this was damaged bevond our powers to repair. On the arrival of replacement parts from New Zealand another attempt will be made. There are a large number of such holes in Niue, but the water is usually brackish and would quickly damage piping. A concrete tank was also erected at the teacher's house at Hakupu. Buildings. —Apart from the wireless station, very little new work has been undertaken. A motorgarage has been built at the Medical Officer's residence, and a Native leaf-house at the residence of the Foreman of Public Works. Painting and repairs have been carried out where necessary. <:: Wireless. The establishment of a wireless station in Niue was perhaps the most notable event of the year. Before one can fully appreciate the benefits of wireless one must have lived in absolute isolation such as has been the portion of the Europeans here in the past. During hurricane seasons, for instance, when for about four months no vessels call, it has been largely the absence of news which rendered this a period of strain. With daily wireless news arriving this last hurricane season has been the pleasantest in my experience. In. emergency such as hurricane, wreck, or epidemic the value of wireless cannot be estimated, and accordingly the island is most grateful to New Zealand for bearing the cost of our installation. It is considered that it will be possible to maintain the station at an annual loss of about £100. During the December quarter there were 62 messages of 665 words inwards, and 63 messages of 523 words outwards. The hurricane-season quarter naturally brought less business, 29 messages of 244 words being received and 26 messages of 233 words forwarded. The above figures exclude Press telegrams. Postal. The following figures show the postal business transacted during the year : Money-orders—issued, £1,132 16s. ; paid, £966 16s. 3d. Savings-bank—deposits, £1,632 14s. ; withdrawals, £300 lis. 3d. Postal-notes —issued, £48 15s. Bd.; paid, £3 6s. 9d. Miscellaneous payments, £911 Bs. Id. Education. With the coming year the New Zealand Government will subsidize the London Missionary Society, which undertakes education in those villages not yet catered for by this Administration. These schools will therefore fall under the supervision of the Administration teachers, and their syllabus will, as far as possible, follow the lines of our own. The difficulty of financing further schools is thus disposed of for the present, but as opportunity offers the Administration will take over further villages from the society. Woodwork is being taught at Tufukia, and agriculture has been commenced at Hakupu. Lessons are given in sewing and in Native arts and crafts, and the Medical Officer delivers lectures in hygiene and elementary physiology. The numbers on the rolls at the 31st March are 218 at Tufukia and 87 at Hakupu. Meteorological. Summarized, the readings for 1924 are as follows : Barometer —mean for year, 30-04. Thermometer —highest 96, in March ; lowest 56, also in March : mean maximum, 85-16 ; mean minimum, 70-27. Rainfall, 125-41 in.—a record. Rail fell on 150 days. On the sth October a cyclonic storm of short duration struck the island, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and hail. The hail, an uncommon experience here, seems to have fallen only in the southern part of the island. The hurricane season just ended was one of the calmest in my experience. Except for a north-westerly gale and a heavy sea in the middle of March, shipping could have been worked throughout the season. Population. The following table shows the births, deaths, and marriages for the past five years :—

Forty-five persons, including thirteen Europeans, arrived, and twenty-seven, twenty-six being Europeans, departed. There are increases therefore to record of forty-five on vital statistics and eighteen on migration, a total of sixty-three. The population at the 31st December, 1924, was 3,813, and at the 31st March, 1925, there is a further increase to 3,853. The death figures for the year are

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Year. j Births. j Death?. Marriages. 1920 .. .. .. .. 92 104 45 1921 .. .. .. 103 97 46 1922 .. .. .. .. 99 82 47 1923 .. .. .. .. 106 103 42 1924 .. .. .. 114 69 49