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Mr. Moss said : The Rarotonga Council, which votes the money for the teachers, opened its session on the 31st August last, and, carried away by general excitement, has adjourned from time to time without doing anything till now. I have represented more than once indirectly the wrong done to teachers or police. There is no money to pay them. I being in a way responsible to the teachers, I wrote to each m same terms as letter of the sth October, 1897. I received thanks from Mr. Eice and Mr. Ellis. I then took upon myself to advance from the Federal funds, getting from each teacher an authority to draw his pay when the Earotonga Appropriation Act was passed, and from it to recoup the advance. Such authority was given by Messrs. Rice and Ellis. Miss Sievewright did not do this, but wrote the letter put in. Miss Sievewright: The first message I received from Mr. Gelling was given to me on the road, to the effect that Mr. Moss had received a letter from me which he did not understand, and the only conclusion he could draw from it was that I did not wish to draw any more money. The second message was also given me on the road, that Mr. Moss had authorised him only to draw the moneys due to Mr. Eice and Mr. Bllice, and that I was not to receive my salary. Those are the only messages Mr. Gelling brought to me. After that I wrote to Mr. Moss. I have only had an average attendance of twenty children, caused by want of a compulsory act or clause. Mr. Kohn: I speak only of Rarotonga. Miss Sievewright: I do not think that the revenue of Rarotonga is sufficient for the establishment of a system of paid inspectors arid certification of teachers. I do not think the Rarotongan Council would pass an Act while the children are obliged to be taught in English. We teachers sent in a recommendation to the Council that there should be a compulsory clause and a fine attached for non-attendance. We have not heard the result. Mr. Gelling: With respect to the verbal messages given to Miss Sievewright by me, she has repeated them correctly as far as I can at present remember, with the exception that she has omitted to state that I informed her at the time I told her I was authorised to pay Messrs. Ellis and Rice ; that, if she wished the money advanced her in a similar way, that she must apply to the British Resident for it in writing, as he understood from her letter that she did not wish to accept payment through him. Rev. Mr. Hutchin: Mr. Moss is mistaken in saying there was no attempt made to educate children on the island before the education he inaugurated. In the five villages of this island, since the London Missionary Society commenced here, in 1823, schools have been conducted by the native teachers and the English missionary in the Rarotongan language. Also, since 1866 English has been taught in Avarua—first in the normal school conducted by the Eev. J. Chalmers, Rev. W. Gill, and myself. For some three years—lBB7 to 1890—I taught English in the village school at Avarua to the upper classes. In 1888 the normal school was discontinued. There was a competitive examination held in connection with the village schools every year; twelve children were selected from each village, and were examined in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and in Scripture. I examined occasionally the village schools. My ideas are that the present system can be improved. All instruction is to be in English as I understood. I would give instruction in Maori, although English should be taught. The native pastors in the churches were the teachers, who were quite competent to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. None of them taught English. They taught twice a day. Mr. Moss : No adequate teaching, because no English taught. Mr. Kohn: Are you aware that 10 per cent, was charged for exchanging Chili money ? -No. Mr. Gelling : The Act authorises Chili money to be taken at 2s. The bank will not receive Chili money. Makea Daniela to bank the money changed H into English money, charging 10 per cent, for his trouble in doing so, as it is very difficult to change Chili money into English. Rev. Mr. Hutchin: How long have you known Mr. Scard ? —Six or seven years. He has been regarded as an acquaintance, and has worked with the mission as an acceptable and continual instructor. I have known nothing against him during his stay here. Par. 18: Dr. Craig states that Mr. Moss has represented this island as a sober one, and that the liquorlaws are working satisfactorily. Correspondence, Dr. Craig and Mr. Moss : Drinking-shops exist all over the island. John Banks, Henry Nicholas, Avarua, keep liquor-shops, as do Ah Kin, William Hood, Ah Fou. Makea Daniela has sold liquor illegally. Henry Nicholas has employed native labour and paid them with rum. I can mention a European, Innes, who has been paid in rum when he wanted money. I can produce a man who has carried the transfer from Henry Nicholas to Donald and Edenborough for the supply of liquor to carry on this illicit traffic. Understood that natives are to get one bottle per week ; there is no means of enforcing, because natives habitually use each other's name to get more than their allowance. In one instance a man took down a permit with twenty-five names on it, and took away liquor, not in bottles but in a demijohn. It is a usual custom for natives to present permits with more than one name on it, and one person gets the liquor. Drunkenness is common. Mr. Moss says his liquor-law has suppressed nineteen sly-grog shops. Mr. Kohn suggests that the law ought to be changed by a total prohibition as to natives, and a licensed sale to Europeans. Dr. Craig suggests the same. Rev. Mr. Hutchin suggests the Gothenburg system for everybody, and if that fails, total prohibition, Mr. Kohn says the complaint against Mr. Moss is that, though aware of the abuses of the present system, has not made such efforts as he should have made to get the administration altered or the law changed. I do not know whether Mr. Moss has frequently pointed out to Judge Te Pou the abuses. Mr. Moss: I deny that Mr. Kohn ever brought the subject to me until recently. Mr. Kohn states that four years ago on many occasions I have called Mr. Moss's attention to the sale of the permits by the Judges and the moneys not treated as revenue. His answer has been that it was a perquisite from a long time ago. I suggested then tba,t it would be better to have a licensed hotel: that laws for punishment of drunkenness and rowdyism from drinking habits be framed. Mr. Moss said the law was good and well carried out. Mr. Moss, by Dr. Craig : This is the first time I have heard of natives buying liquor at sly-grog shops. Dr. Craig : I have not been of more than one occasion on which a native has bought liquor. Mr. Moss: I have heard vaguely that white men can get drink. At 6.30 p.m. adjourned till Tuesday, 9 a.m.

Rarotonga Council.—"Public Schools Act, 1895." It is hereby enacted by the Rarotonga Council: — 1. That public schools shall be established at Avarua, Arorangi, and Ngatangiia, for the teaching of children between the ages of five and fifteen free of charge. 2. That the hours of attendance, subjects to be taught, salaries to be paid, and teachers to be appointed shall be settled by the Arikis (the Government), with the approval of the British Eesident. 3. That the agreements made with teachers shall be for one year only, and subject to termination by notice of three months either from the Government or from the teacher. 4. That the Government shall have the sole control of the schools, subject to approval by the British Eesident in any action it may take in connection therewith. 5. That at the next meeting of the Council, and thereafter at every meeting, the expenses of such schools shall be included on the ordinary estimates, but that for the first year the Government may under this Act, and with approval of the British Resident, expend, such sums, not exceeding in all two hundred pounds, as it may deem necessary. 6. That, for the purpose of meeting the cost of the said schools, every adult person in Rarotonga shall pay yearly the sum of two shillings for himself or herself, and a further sum of two shillings for every child over five years of age in Ms or her family : Provided that no person shall be called upon to pay for more than three children in any one family.