A.—3.

Cook and Northern Islands. —Vital Statistics of Cook Islands for 1905.

W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner.

No. 197. g IR Niue Island Administration, Niue, 19th April, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 110, dated the 23rd ultimo, together with a copy of the memo, to the Right Hon. the Premier from the Secretary for Education, and I note that the question of the appointment of a teacher must remain m abeyance for the regard to the memo, referred to above, I would like to say that the system of education outlined by the Secretary for Education appears to me to be rather too elaborate and costly for Niue, although probably suitable for Rarotonga, where the conditions are different in many respects from what they are here. , „, rm Three European teachers, with incidentals, &c, involving an expenditure of £1,100 per annum, would seem to be a large amount to expend upon education in Niue for the present at all events although £300 might be taken ofi the estimate, as the students would board themselves. I think it is unlikely that there will ever be more than a few traders, and possibly planters, settled in Niue, consequently the Native race will always remain in a large majority, and there appears to be no necessity to anglicize them to the same extent as is being done with the New Zeaknd Proposal (a) would therefore seem to be most applicable. It is quite correct that I am in favour of a scheme of education that involves the teaching of English to al Natives, together with tSn in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but I do not believe that a high degree of education r e ther necessary or beneficial to either Maoris or South-Sea-Islanders My experience with the Maorifis that the well-educated Maori, when he returns to his native kamga is in the majority of caes comparatively useless, as he has a distaste for ordinary work and longs for something higher which is seldom attainable. There is no reason to suppose that the Polynesian would not Ye^ h to be instituted in these islands, my humble opinion lS '~(1 ) That a first-class training college for student-teachers should be established in Rarotonga, S ta'SlSa at Alofi, with a thoroughly competent headmaster and one assistant. don Missi g • ty sc h oo ls already in (o.; I™ l sc hool- ultimately the most promising of these should be selected r/Stot oSnga to bt and finally established, in the various villages of ths island in chai; of schools. Not more than twelve would be required here; a few others could be rained to fill possible vacancies. The Native London Missionary Society teachers might be utilised as assistants to these trained teachers, so as not to lose their vocation. I believe the best policy in these islands is to go slowly but surely and I am confident that the scheme I have suggested would be not only economical but effective Ido not think that any diffiffin. likllv to Tbe experienced with regard to training the student-teachers in Rarotonga. It would be a distinct advantage to send them out of this island for that purpose, for many reasons, would be a distinct; aavd.n b reference is made to " industrial occupations," includ'""Eih .. « "if m.tom»», to" ~»U be «r.nged l»t-» «« *-> A<lmi»i»«r»ion. it necessary. w^ lt -o+,-«ti Act is to be applied to these islands, I assume the entire control of Department of New Zealand proper. C. F. Maxwell, The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister in Charge Resident Commissioner. Cook and other Islands, Wellington,

No. 174.

108

Island. Births. Deaths. Maniages. Rarotonga Atiu Mangaia 81 25 62 90 13 53 33 17 Total 168 156 50