A.—3.

;....: £ s. d. Cash surplus for year ending 31st March, 1905 ... ... 3,092 2 4 Cash surplus for year ending-31st March, 1906 ... ... 1,65110 1 Outstanding fees, Survey and Land Court, for year ending 31st March, 1906 .... . : ... ... .-. -•• , ■••. 979 12 6 £5,723 4 11 Up to the year 1899 no public money had been expended on useful works within this Group, and the Federal Government had neither public offices nor land on which to build. Since that date we have secured the most valuable site on the island, and erected thereon the following concrete buildings: Public offices of seven rooms, including Court-room; residences for the Collector of Customs and the Medical Officer; and an accommodation-house of thirteen rooms. The moneys actually expended on public works during the past six years are as follows:— Out of General Revenue. £ s j 1899 First payment on lease of Government building site ... ... ... 500 0 0 1900 Second „ „ ••• ••• "••'■ 500 ° ° 1901-2 Third , „ „ 200 0 0 Fencing the Residency grounds ... ... ..... •■■ ... 60 0 0 19,02-3 Government offices (concrete) ... ... ••• ••■ ••• 623 , \% 8 1903-4 Fittings, Government offices ... \ . ... ••■ ■•.-,. jj Purchase of fend, Aitutaki ■ , ~.. .-.. .-■ ...' ■■■ ■■■ ■•• ~ 41 10 0 Residence, Collector of Customs .... ... ... ■■ ... : 786 0 3 Concrete wall round Government buildings • ... ■■• ■• 101 14 3 Erection of bridges ... ... •■• ••■ ■■■ • 200 ° ° 1904-6 Makea's Bridge, Avarua, and approaches ... • ... ... •■■ 250 0 0 Blasting passage through reef, Mauke ' ... ... ■■• •■• 69 0 2 Erection of cargo-shed, Mangaia \ .'••• ••• •■• . ••• "■■ - 310 Planting Takutea Island ; ... ... •■• . ..... •■• .... 53 11 1 Purchase of land, Avarua (Hood's house and section) ... ... ... 100 0 0 Concrete wall round Whare Manuhiri ... ... •• •• ■ 79 6 6 Blasting rocks in Avarua Harbour ... ... -- •■• •■ _, 48 Furnishing Wharc Manuhiri ... ... ... ■•• •■■ 538 2 1 Lock-up, Rarotonga ... ... ■•• ■•• ■•• ••• 23 14 4 Fitting Court-room, Mangaia ... ... ■•• ••■ •■ 6 16 4 From, Public Works Fund, Local Revenue. 1903 Flagstaff, £26 11s.. 4d.; wooden bridges, £60 9s. Bd. ... 87. 0 0 1904 Wooden bridges ..: ... •■• ••• ••• ••• •■■ 31 10 ° Purchase of Schooner. 1904-5 First instalment ... ... ■•• ••■ ••• ■•• 301 n 3 1905-6 Second instalment. ... i ... ■■• ■■■ ••• ••■ 301 n 3 Total ... ... . ... ... ••• ...£6,031 17 11 The assets of the local Administration are in most cases estimated at higher value than the sums actually expended thereon, inasmuch as prison labour has been a considerable factor in the erection of the buildings. Value of Government Property, Cook Islands. £ g d Residency site, house and stone wall ... ... ... 700 0 0 Government offices, Rarotonga, and walls ... ... ... 1,724 0 0 Whare Manuhiri and concrete wall .. ... ... ... 2,380 0 0 Furniture for Whare Manuhiri ... ... ;.... ... 538 0 0 Landing reserve, Courthouse and residence, Aitutaki ... ... 250 0 0 Residence site, Courthouse and residence, Mangaia ... ... 400 0 0 Residence, Collector of Customs, Rarotonga ... .. ... 786 0 0 Residence and land, Penrhyn ... ... ... ■•• 250 0 0 Wharf site, Avatiu ... •■• ■•• ■■• ■•• 100 0 0 Wharf site, Avarua ... ••• ■•• •■■ ■•• 300 0 0 Beach reserve, Avarua ... ... • ■ ■ 200 0 0 . Courthouse sites and buildings, Tauhunu, Tukao, and Rakahanga 300 0 0 Two concrete bridges, " Ranfurly " and " Makea " ... ... 350 0 0 Four wooden bridges ... ... ■•• ••■ ••• 250 0 0 Takutea Island ... ... ••• •■■ •■■ ••• 1.000 0 0 Goods-shed and flagstaff, Mangaia ... ... ... ... 200 0 0 Total , ...£9,728 0 0 Land rights purchased (Hood's section and house) ... ... £100 0 0 For the year 1906-7 I do not propose to effect any saving, inasmuch as there are many public works urgently required. Cabinet has decided that the inspection and fumigation of fruit shall be done in Rarotonga, and therefore I have appropriated £500 to build a suitable shed. The con-

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