A.—3.

Meteic System. We have now our steel bands in meters, having used out the link bands. We use a 100--meter s band divided to 10 meters and a 10-meters band divided to 2 decimeters, roughly a link. The salt water is very severe in the way of rust, and when working near salt water the bands should be cleaned every evening. Island Surveys. I forward tracings of the island plans, as far as they are completed, of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Manuae, Takutea, Mauke, and Rakahanga, and a general chart of the islands under the Cook Islands Administration. The island plans are all drawn to the scale of 10 chains to the inch, and are coloured—Government land, red; land leased to Europeans, blue; Native lands passed the Court, yellow. Areas. I make the total area of the different islands—Rarotonga, 16,500 acres; Aitutaki, without motus (small islands), 3,900 acres; Manuae, 1,524 acres (cocoanut land, 1,400 acres); Takutea, 302 acres (cocoanut land, 227 acres); Mauke, 3,600 acres; Rakahanga, 930 acres. Roads already taken under the Act are coloured red on the island plans. I have now three assistants, who, when they are not employed in the field, are kept busy in the office. I have, &c, H. M. Connal, The Resident Commissioner. Government Surveyor.

Cook Islands Administration. Sir, — Government Schooner Department, Rarotonga, 19th April, 1906. I have the honour to forward you herewith statement of the accounts in connection with the working of the schooner "Countess of Ranfurly " for the year ending the 31st March, 1906. As you will observe, the earnings of the schooner show an increase of £454 over those of the prevfous year, while the expenses of running have been £282 less, thus showing a diminution of £736 in loss as compared with 1904—5. The following is a comparative statement of the earnings and expenses of the schooner for the past two years: — Expenses. 1904^5. £ s. d. & B. d. Benzine ... ... ... 146 6 0 193 13 4 Wages ... ... ... 850 8 1 876 110 Office expenses ... ... ... 108 13 11 106 6 8 Provisions ... ... ... 383 13 6 425 2 4 Miscellaneous ... ... ... 125 12 5 . 140 18 1 Claims ... ... ... 17 3 0 9 2 6 Outfit and repairs ... ... 446 19 8 609 10 6 2,078 16 7 2,360 15 3 Earnings. Passenger-fares ... ... 308 8 6 189 3 0 Special charters ... ... 573 0 0 319 0 0 Freights ... ... ... 1,006 4 11 925 3 11 Commission ... ... ... 3 14 9 3 16 9 1,891 8 2 1,437 3 8 Loss ... ... ... 187 8 5 923 11 7 The Outfit and Repairs Account includes a sum of £30 12s. Id. incurred in 1904-5, so that the actual loss for the past year, exclusive of insurance reserve fund and payment on account of the cost of the vessel and interest as hereinafter mentioned, was only £156 16s. 4d In addition to the expenses above mentioned, this Department has repaid to the New Zealand Government a sum of £70 16s. 9d. for three months' insurance on the schooner in 1904-5, of which one-sixth, £11 16s. Id., has been contributed by the Niue Island Administration, and paid into the Cook Islands Treasury. In accordance with the arrangement made with the Government of New Zealand for repayment of the capitalised cost of the schooner (£6,000), and interest at 4 per cent., a second instalment of £301 11s. 3d. has been paid by the Cook Islands Treasury to the Government of New Zealand, and I presume that the Niue Island Administration has also paid a second instalment of £201 os. 9d; as arranged, making a total second instalment of £502 12s. The principal and interest thus repaid to New Zealand to date is £1,005 4s. The sum of £300, of which the Niue Island Administration contributed £50, has been invested by the Treasury on fixed deposit in the Bank of New Zealand as an Insurance Reserve Fund, and according to arrangement a similar sum will be set aside and invested in. the month of May next. During the year the schooner has made the following trips, aggregating about sixteen thousand miles; Rarotonga to Niue and Auckland, 2; Auckland to Niue and Rarotonga, 2; Rarotonga to northern islands and Maiden Island, 2; Maiden Island and northern islands to Rarotonga, 2; Rarotonga to northern islands, 1 ; round the Cook Group, 6,

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