45

A.—3.

Attempt to persuade Arikis and Judges that they were not responsible for Abuses in the Administration of the Liquor-daw, and were not called upon to investigate Charges made in that Direction. (Memorandum.) This contains, — 1. Circular issued by me calling the attention of the Arikis and Judges to certain statements connected with abuses in the administration of the liquor-laws, and seeking to counteract a belief, wbicii I was informed had been implanted in their minds, that the abuses were no affair of theirs, but concerned only the British Rjsideit and the Licensing Officer. Of course, as only the Arikis and the Judges had the means of investigating the charges made such a belief was fatal to their being properly inquired into. This circular was enclosed in my despatch to the Governor of New Zealand (No. 13 of 21st August). 2. A letter, subsequently sent to me by the Arikis, purporting to be copy of one addressed to me on the 24th by Dr. George Craig, but which I find differs materially from the original, and proves that Dr. George Craig was instrumental in creating the belief of irresponsibility above referred to. 3. Dr. George Craig's letter to me of the 24th : I may state that in reply I denied (25th August) the statements it contained, and requested Dr. Craig to produce the proof he professed to have. His reply was only personal abuse (in another letter), but no attempt at proof. 16th November, 1897. F. J. Moss.

CIRCULAB FROM BRITISH RESIDENT TO THE ARIKIS, WITH Dr. CRAIG'S ALLEGATIONS Tβ LIQUOR ABUSES. [Translation.] To the Arikis of Rarotonga, of Avarua, of Arorangi, and of Takitumu. I send herewith a letter which Dr. Craig has published in Te Torea of Saturday, tho 21st August. I hear that you have been told that this letter does not concern you, but that it is my affair and thtt of Mr. Gamier (the Licensing Officer). Be not deceived. If these statements are true, it is the Arikis, the Arikis'Court, and the police that will be blamed, and the question will be asked, " Of what use are they, and why cumber they the gcound ?" —(Luke, xiii., 7). My advice to you, therefore, is to ask Dr. Craig, quickly, where and how he got the information, so that you may see whether all or what part of it is true, and let me know, that I may write to the Governor of New Zealand. Enough. From your friend, 20th August, 1897. Frederick J. Moss, British Resident.

[The Letter above referred to. J Sir, — Rarotonga, 14th August, 1897. In obedience to a request from the Clerk of the Government that I be asked to furnish an explanation of a clause in my report on the diseases due to alcohol in Rarotonga—namely, " that there are special facilities and encouragement given for the liquor traffic among natives " —I have been instructed to give some explanation. When I wrote the report I did not think any explanation would be necessary, as the facts I stated are generally known. The encouragement I refer to lies in the fact that the chiefs have a direct interest in the sale of liquor to the natives. I allude to the open and indiscriminate sale of permits. The facilities are well known, but I suppose lam expected to mention them. No one could go about for a week in Rarotonga without noticing the disgracefully drunken habits of the natives. It is a rare thing to walk 500 yards any evening in the week without meeting half a dozen drunken natives, sometimes considerably more. As long as these facilities for traffic in imported spirits are allowed to exist it is impossible to attribute any of the blame for the drunken habits of the natives to the much less potent beverages of native manufacture. These are to be ranked with such an English beverage as cider —wholesome and, even in excessive quantities, doing infinitely less harm than the poison that is retailed to the unsophisticated natives as rum. Kindly forward a copy of this letter in your next despatch to the New Zealand Government. I have, &c, F. J. Moss, Esq., British Resident. George Craig, M.8., CM. (Edin.).

Memo —Dr. Craig's letter, containing the allegatiens, was sent by me to the Rarotongao Government on the 16th, and the above circular was issued on my hearing that they did not intend to make inquiry, as requested by me, as they were told that the complaints were against myself and Mr. Gamier, and did not concsrn them.—F. J. M.

Translation op a Letter feom Dr. George Craig to F. J. Moss, Esq., 8.R., forwarded to Makea Ariki, Chief of the Cook Islands Government. E Tama c, — Rarotonga, Ra 24 no August, 1897. Kua akakiteia mai keakue a tuatua naau ki ti hi Ariki, kua oti i te neneiia, c kua tuaia kia ratou Tena ko Maira taua pepa ra, " E tiki vave ia Docte Craig c iv atu kiaia, naai i tuatua atu kiaia i tera tuatua i te kava papaa ki Rarotonga nei. Kua kite rai koe c, c tupaanga ati hi Ariki kua oti ite raveia. Xi taua tupaangara kua tatavia te au tuatua taku i akapapa aua no runga ite kava papaa ki Rarotonga nei. E kua taka to te hi Ariki tuatua c, c tuatua mou teia au tuatua nei, c kia kite te au Nu Zelani i taua au tuatua i akapapaia c aura I roto i taau papa i tuatuaaia kia ratoa, te tuatua ia koe c ka ratou tei apa aua. Te akakite atu nei au kia koe no te mea ko au tv kimi aua i teia apa i te kava rate ta pepa nei au ia koe i taua apa ra kua apa koe, no te mea kua okoia na te au Pamiti, c roa te tuatau, c kua kite rai koe i te reira c muteki ka rai te vaa kua akatika rai koa c kare c ravenga i kimi ia aua c koe c akakore i to oko o te au Pamiti ka rauka iaku te akataka meitaki i teia tuatua nei. Ko au, F. J. Moss, Esq., British Resident. Ko George Craig, M.8., CM. (Edin.).

Sent by Dr. Craig to the Arikis , Council, and by them referred to me.—F. J. M.—3oth August, 1897. The handwriting is, I believe, that of Dr. Craig.—F. J. M.

(This is the letter of which the above professes to have been a translation.) Sir, — Hospital, Rarotonga, 24th August, 1897. I am informed that a circular has been issued by you to the Arikis advising them that if the statements in my letter re the liquor traffic, published in Te Torea of Saturday, 21st August, ba true, the Arikis, Arikia' Courts, and police will be blamed. This is so transparent an attempt to intimidate the natives into a denial of the truth of my allegations that I protest against you placing me in the position of an accuser of the Arikis. If my allegations, which have been already admitted to be true at the last meeting of the Arikis, are to take the form of aocusatkms, then they are against yourself, as the sale of permits has been going on for a long time here with your knowledge and tacit consent —as lam prepared to prove—and without any effort on your part to stop the sale. Please forward this letter to the New Zealand Government in your next despatch. I have, &c, F. J. Moss, Esq., British Eesident. Gboegb Craig, M.8., CM. (Edin.).