a:-3.

6. The determination of the Court both as to ownership and compensation shall be entered by the Registrar in the records of the Court, and a certificate in writing duly signed by the Registrar that the person or persons named therein is or are entitled to receive compensation in accordance with the determination of the Court shall be sufficient warrant for the amount of such compensation being paid out of the public revenues of the said islands. As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this twenty-seventh day of December, one thousand nine hundred and five. C. H. Mills.

No. 104. Sir, Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 4th January, 1906. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st November, forwarding draft regulations dealing with lands taken as township-sites under section 3 of "The Cook and other Islands Government Act Amendment Act, 1904." These are being submitted to the SolicitorGeneral for his approval, and when signed by the Governor will be forwarded to you for publication in the Cook Islands Gazette. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. C. H Mills.

No. 105. Sir, Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 4th January, 1906. I forward herewith a copy of a memo. I have received from the Hon. the PostmasterGeneral enclosing a letter addressed by Mr. Stevenson, Postmaster at Rarotonga, to the Chief Postmaster at Auckland, in which he recommends that a money-order and postal-note office be established at Mangaia, and that Mr. Large be appointed Postmaster. I note that Mr. Stevenson states that you concur in his suggestions; but before making any recommendations to the Postmaster-General I should like to have some official advice from you on the subject. I think it would be well if correspondence on all matters affecting the islands were sent through me, including cases such as this one, where the Postal or some other Department is immediately concerned. It is desirable that the work of administering the islands be concentrated as far as possible; and in any case such matters are always referred to me by the Department concerned before anything is done, so that time will be saved by writing to this office direct. I have, <fee, The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. C. H. Mills.

Enclosure. General Post Office, Wellington, 30th December, 1905. Memorandum for the Hon. the Minister in Charge, Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington. I attach hereto copy of letter from the Postmaster at Rarotonga, recommending that a moneyorder and postal-note office be established at Mangaia, and that Major J. T. Large, the Resident Agent, &c., be appointed Postmaster, in place of Mr. C. F. Proctor. It is understood that at Mangaia there are many Natives and few white people. Before I consider the matter, I should be obliged if you would favour me with your opinion as to the necessity for providing moneyorder and postal-note facilities and the change of Postmaster. J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General.

Sub-enclosure. g IR Post-office, Rarotonga, 11th December, 1905. I beg to bring under your notice that it is the desire of the residents of the Island of Mangaia to have the post-office there made a money-order and postal-note office. I fail to see why their wishes should not be acceded to, as is the case at Aitutaki and Penrhyn, although not nearly so important as Mangaia. Large shipments of fruit and other produce are made almost monthly from Mangaia, and at present the traders and Natives there are compelled to accept cheques of New Zealand firms, and in doing so are taking a certain amount of risk. In the event of Mangaia being made a money-order office, I recommend that Major J. T. Large, the Resident Agent there, be made Postmaster in place of Mr. Proctor. I have nothing to complain of about Mr. Proctor, as he has carried out his duties admirably; but with the advent of a money-order business, a Postmaster has more responsibility cast upon him and often large sums of public money in charge. It would be hardly fair to ask Mr. Proctor to accept such responsibility when there is a Government officer resident on the island quite capable of carrying out the duties of Postmaster. The fact of Major Large holding the positions of Resident Agent, Magistrate, and Customs Officer should insure his fitness for the position of Postmaster,

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