'A.—3.

No. 69. Sib,— Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 25th September, 1905. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth August, commenting upon Mr. A. Paul's report relative to Nine Island, and am glad to have your statement on the various matters mentioned. I join with jou in hoping that the waste lands of Niue will in time be thrown open for settlement and leased to a good class of white planters, but apparently the time is not quite ripe for this step yet. I note your remarks as to the quantity of marketable timber on the island. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Niue. C. H. Mills.

No. 33.

No. 70. g IR) ! Niue Island Administration, Niue, 26th September, 1905. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 237, dated the 23rd August. I regret that I am not at present in a position to state definitely whether this Administration oould support a married teacher, and provide suitable accommodation for him and his family, for the following reasons: — 1. The revenue of this island will be considerably diminished by the withdrawal of the principal duty-paying firm, and it is advisable to first ascertain what the future financial position of this Administration is likely to be. 2. The matter of suitable accommodation is somewhat difficult. No suitable residence is available, and it would be necessary to build. To do this a site must be procured. The Natives are very reluctant to lease any laud in this village. It may be possible to obtain a site for a teacher's residence, and possibly a school, on the land belonging to the London Missionary Society, but Mr. Lawes, the resident missionary, has only just returned from furlough, and I have not had an opportunity of conferring with him on this subject. I will write more fully on this matter by a later mail. I have, &c, C. F. Maxwell, The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister in Charge Resident Commissioner, Niue. Cook and other Islands, Wellington.

Xo. 48.

No. 71. g IK) Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 28th September, 1905. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd August, forwarding Ordinance ' No: 3 of the Aitutaki Island Council. I now beg to return this Ordinance duly assented to by His Excellency the Governor. With regard to section 6 of the Ordinance, the Attorney-General has pointed out that the words " of the following day " should have been inserted after " a.m." in the third line, for as the section stands the tea-shops might be required to be closed from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. of the same day, whereas quite the reverse is intended. It has been deemed advisable to have the Ordinance assented to as it stands, leaving it to you to take steps to remedy the imperfection should you consider this necessary. There is a similar defect in Rarotonga Ordinance No. 5. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. C. H. Mills.

No. 49.

No. 72. S IE) Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 28th September, 1905. 1 have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th August, enclosing a report from Mr. Blame relative to the return of certain Natives from Maiden Island after having completed engagements with Messrs. Grice, Sumner, and Co. The report discloses a very satisfactory condition of things, and is a good reply to much of the criticism that has been directed against the employment of Native labour in that island. I have, <&c, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. C. H. Mills.

No. 35.

No. 73. Si ßj Cook .and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 30th September, 1905. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th August, forwarding a draft notice taking land for residential sites at Avarua. I now beg to forward a notice taking the land as for " township purposes,'.' duly signed by His Excellency, for publication in the Cook Islands Gazette. As you are aware, land taken for township purposes is required to be dealt with in manner prescribed by regulations to be made by the Governor (subsection (10) of section 3 of " The Cook and other Islands Government Act Amendment Act, 1904 "), and I shall be glad if you will forward a draft of the regulations you think will meet the case.

No. 40.

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