A.—3

Breaches of local ordinances and regulations — Cohabiting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Failing to register dogs .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 Keeping pigs in settlements .. .. .. .. .. 24 Failing to secure animals .. .. .. .. .. 1 Tethering animals in a public place .. .. .. .. 18 Using profane language .. .. .. .. 1 Loitering at night upon a public place after 10 p.m. .. .. .. 25 Shooting indigenous birds .. .. .. .. .. 1 Riding bicycle at night without a light .. .. .. .. 33 Furious riding .. .. . . . . .. .. .. 12 Breach of Fruit Regulations .. .. .. .. .. 13 Sunday trading . . .. .. . . . . .. 4 Breach of Education Regulations . . .. .. .. .. 4 Total 1,251 How dealt with — Convicted and sentenced to imprisonment .. .. .. .. 31 Convicted and fined .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,112 Convicted and discharged .. .. .. .. .. 66 Convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on .. 23 Cases withdrawn .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Cases dismissed .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 Cases adjourned sine die .. .. .. .. . . .. 3 Total 1,251 Civil Jurisdiction — Actions for debt .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Actions for divorce .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Applications for affiliation and maintenance .. .. . . . . 2 Application for letters of administration .. .. .. .. 1 Application to assess compensation .. .. .. .. .. 1 Application for possession . . .. .. .. .. .. 1 Total 26 General. —Owing to the outbreak of measles, no Court sittings were held during the months of July and August. Returns of Court work in the various Islands of the Group have been received periodically as communication permitted and the work appears to have been kept well up to date. With the exception of one case of attempted murder at Pukapuka, which was heard by Judge Morling of Samoa, no really serious offences were reported. Chief Judge H. F. Ayson, after twelve months in New Zealand, returned to Rarotonga in July, 1938, and since that date he has taken the majority of cases brought before the High Court. Prior to Judge Ayson's return, Court sittings were taken by Mr. Savage, Commissioner, or, where the case was outside a Commissioner's jurisdiction, by Mr. S. J. Smith, Acting Chief Judge. Native Land Cotjbt. From June, 1937, when Judge Ayson, Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, left for New Zealand, until July, 1938, when he returned to Rarotonga, the Cook Islands were left without the services of a resident Judge. Mr. A. McCarthy, late of Samoa and now Registrar of the Supreme Court, Invercargill, has been appointed a Judge of the Native Land Court of the Cook Islands, and is expected to arrive in Rarotonga early in the new year, when arrears of work will be undertaken. The position of applications pending is much the same as set out in last year's report, but it is to be expected that many more applications will be lodged when the Land Court resumes its sittings. Beeords. —Steady progress has been maintained with the reconstruction of records. All orders with the exception of a few which require further looking into have now been drawn up, checked, signed, sealed, and filed. The new Aitutaki registers have been checked from the minute books and all available documents, and they now record the true position of each investigated title. The new registers for Rarotonga are now being typed. It will be necessary at some future date to have plans endorsed on all the old investigation orders so as to avoid the necessity of going to the Survey Office for plans when a title is being searched. The same remark applies to all of Judge Gudgeon's orders in all Inlands of the Group.

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