A.—6.

Island Council. Quarterly meetings have been held and many matters of local interest discussed. Legislation. The only Ordinance passed was the renewal of the Aid-to-revenue Ordinance whereby each male over eighteen years has to pay a tax of 10s. per annum, this being devoted to medical services and roads. Wireless. This Department has functioned splendidly in spite of the semi-tropical conditions and the difficulty experienced in obtaining parts for replacements. Traffic. —Inwards 351 messages, containing 6,661 words ; outwards 469 messages, containing 7,781 words. This represents a considerable increase over that of 1935, and indicates the increasing usefulness of the radio service. Postal. Postal business totalled £11,790, a record for this Department. Savings-bank deposits decreased by £132. Meteorological. The total rainfall for this year was 90-39 in., as compared with 99-77 in. for 1935-36. Rain fell on 197 days during the year and was fairly evenly distributed in the various months, except for November, when there were only seven days rain, totalling 2-19 in. The average rainfall since 1906 has been 82-16 in. The total rainfall for 1936 was 8-23 in. above the average for the past thirty-one years. Visits. Yacht " Stranger " and H.M.S. " Dunedin " visited Niue during the year. Shipping. The monthly calls of N.Z.G.M.V. " Maui Pomare " have proved of the greatest value to Niue. This vessel provides the only regular means of obtaining supplies and shipping produce, and the continuance of this service is of the utmost importance to this Island. The inward cargo tonnage during the year amounted to 1,112 tons and the outward to 2,473, as compared with 708 and 1,663 tons for 1935. Vital Statistics. A census was taken during the year, and the numbers obtained then, with the alterations since to the end of the year, show the present population to be 4,121. This is a record for Niue since 1900, the date when the first population statistics were obtained by the Administration. This is a very satisfactory position and demonstrates the beneficial results of New Zealand's administration of this Island. Births during the year were 140 and the deaths 74, as compared with births 171 and deaths 82 for 1935. NIUE ADMINISTRATION. Income and Expenditure Account for the Year ended 31st March, 1937. Expenditure. £ s. d. Income. £ s. d. Agriculture Department .. .. .. 1,619 9 7 Agriculture Department .. .. .. 1,751 711 Ammunition.. .. .. .. .. 248 19 9 Aid to revenue .. .. .. .. 461 14 0 Benzine .. .. .. .. .. 817 9 4 Ammunition.. .. .. .. .. 312 15 0 Customs .. .. . . .. . . 1 19 6 Benzine .. .. .. . . . . 886 5 10 Education Department .. .. .. 2,137 18 5 Bond storage .. .. .. .. 0 6 6 Fruit-cases .. .. .. .. .. 3,125 18 8 Copra duty .. .. .. .. .. 418 6 0 Fumigation .. .. .. .. .. 214 0 Customs duties .. .. .. .. 2,633 15 11 High Court (refunds) .. .. .. .. 3 3 0 Dog-tax .. .. .. ~ .. 50 5 0 Interpreters, &c. .. . . .. .. 158 18 0 Education Department .. .. . . 300 8 2 Island Council .. .. .. .. 71 15 0 Fruit-cases .. .. .. .. .. 3,356 15 1 Jetty, boats, &c. .. .. .. . . 64 16 5 High Court fees, &c. . . .. .. .. 194 4 6 Landing .. .. .. .. .. 1,068 9 9 Interest on investments .. .. .. 152 4 2 Lepers: Maintenance, &c. .. .. .. 200 11 11 Interpreters, &c. .. .. .. .. 0 9 0 Liquor . . .. .. .. .. 95 0 0 Landing .. .. .. . . .. 1,495 12 5 Medical Department .. .. .. .. 2,144 8 6 Licenses .. .. .. .. .. 160 0 0 Miscellaneous services .. .. .. 52 7 2 Liquor .. .. .. .. .. 172 6 6 Native Land Court: Advisors .. .. 1116 0 Medical Department .. .. .. .. 23 0 8 Police Department . . .. . . .. 474 210 Miscellaneous services .. .. .. 216 0 Printing, &c. .. .. .. . . 46 11 3 Native Land Court Fees, &c. .. .. . . 14 0 0 Prison Department . . .. . . . . 291 11 3 Police Department .. . . .. . . 0 5 0 Public Works Department .. .. . . 1,108 8 2 Printing, &c. .. .. .. .. 20 4 0 Registration (refunds) .. . . .. 0 5 0 Public Works Department .. .. .. 865 3 11 Residency .. .. .. . . .. 112 16 6 Registration, &c., fees . . .. . . 14 10 0 Resident Commissioner's Department .. .. 535 4 4 Residency .. .. .. .. .. 300 Roads .. .. .. .. .. 621 4 11 Resident Commissioner .. .. .. 58 7 11 Stamps, printing, &c. .. .. .. 245 15 4 Stamp sales .. .. .. .. .. 1,537 19 0 Stock supplies .. .. . . .. 377 II 1 Stock supplies . . . . . . .. 432 0 0 Transport Department .. .. .. 2,224 0 6 Transport Department . . .. . . 2,685 4 0 Treasury Department.. .. .. .. 668 2 8 Treasury Department.. .. .. .. 0 16 4 Water-supply .. .. .. .. 83 1 1 Wireless Department .. .. .. .. 281 14 0 Wireless Department .. .. .. .. 569 6 7 Transfer from Reserve Fund .. .. .. 500 0 0 Depreciation .. .. . .. 1,011 10 9 Excess of expenditure over income .. .. 1,409 10 5 £20,195 7 3 £20,195 7 3

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