A. -3-

1941. NEW ZEALAND.

COOK ISLANDS. [In continuation of Parliamentary Paper A.-3, 1940.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of Ilis Excellency.

REPORT OF THE COOK ISLANDS ADMINISTRATION. (FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1941.) Finance. Local revenue for the year ended 31st March, 1941, amounted to £26,889 and expenditure to £48,346. Grants from the New Zealand Government amounted to £24,000. The year closed with a cash balance of £3,894. The Revenue Account and Balance-sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1941, are printed on page 8, Appendix A. The Balance-sheet takes into account the value of all Administration assets as at 31st March, 1941, and all liabilities, and shows an excess of assets amounting to £78,417. Trade. For the year ended 31st December, 1940, the value of exports was £90,397 and of imports £79,469, showing an excess of exports of £10,928. For the previous year the corresponding figures were : Exports, £56,689 ; imports, £73,559. The export of oranges increased by 73,025 cases, and tomatoes increased by 19,973 boxes. Bananas decreased by 13,835 cases. The following table illustrates the trend of trade in the Cook Islands from .1925 to date :—

Exports.—The following table shows the quantities of main exports over the last seven years :—

Year, Imports. Exports. Total. £ £ £ 1925 .. .. .. 130,609 151,939 282,548 1930 .. .. .. 103,468 109,438 212,906 1931 .. .. .. 69,260 79,945 149,205 1932 .. .. .. 63,585 73,409 136,994 1933 .. .. ... 76,716 73,983 150,699 1934 .. .. .. 61,449 59,307 120,756 1935 .. .. .. 61,676 53,599 115,275 1936 72,576 67,556 140,132 1937 .. .. .. 86,534 86,333 172,867 1938 74,789 73,184 147,973 1939 .. .. .. 73,559 56,689 130,248 1940 „ „ _ 79,469 ___ 90,397 169,866

1934. 1935. | 1936. 1937. 1938. J 1939. 1940. Citrus fruit .. (Cases) 78,099 48,268 75,390 69,369 94,852 55,058 130,068 Bananas .. .. „ 52,314 22,539 49,431 39,910 45,209 46,265 32,430 Tomatoes.. ..(Boxes) 34,545 62,383 38,546 34,390 15,442 10,860 30,833 Copra ■■ _ .. (Tons) 963 1,353 689 1,629 908 912 100