A.--S.

No. 175. Sir, — Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 23rd March, 1906. In connection with the census to be taken throughout the colony this year, Cabinet has No. 146. decided to have one taken in the Cook and other Islands at the same time. The Enumerator has been appointed for the Cook Group and Northern Islands, but he will not be able to undertake the work in Niue. I have to ask you, therefore, to please arrange to have the census taken as early as possible, and forward the returns to me. It will be sufficient if the returns are made up in the same form as those you furnished in 1902, when you stated the number of adult males and females, and children of fifteen, ten, and five years of age and under respectively for each village. If, in addition to this, you can furnish any particulars as to occupation, religion, degree of education, and school attendance I shall be glad to have them. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Niue. C. H. Mills.

No. 176. Sir, — Cook and other islands Administration, Wellington, 23rd March, 1906. I am in receipt of your letter of the 12th January on the subject of the proposal to bring No. 117 some Niue boys to New Zealand for training in useful trades, and note that you are agreeable to the project being abandoned for the present in favour of the larger question of education on the island, about which I have written you in a separate letter by this mail. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Niue. C. H. Mills.

No. 177. Sir, — Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 23rd March, 1906. I am in receipt of your letter of the 9th January, forwarding a Statement of the Revenue No. 113. and Expenditure of Niue Island for the Quarter ending the 31st December, 1905. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Niue. C. H. Mills.

No. 178. General Post Office, Wellington, 24th March, 1906/ Memorandum for the Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister in Charge of the Cook and other Islands No. 155. Administration, Wellington. Referring to your memorandum of the 7th instant C.1., 1906-1, I have to inform you that it has been decided to appoint Mr. J. T. Large to the position of Postmaster, Mangaia, and to open a money-order office at that place in his charge if the fidelity bond usual in such cases is given. This Mr. Large is being asked to furnish. Albert Pitt, Acting Postmaster-General.

No. 179. g IR) Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 26th March, 1906. I duly received your letter of the 6th instant, but deferred replying to it pending my No. 151 visit to Auckland to discuss with the fruit merchants the questions of the fruit trade and communication with the islands. lam now having the whole matter brought before Cabinet, and will let you know as early as possible what has been decided with respect to the proposal you have submitted. l haye > & c -. C. H. Mills. The Managing Director, Union Steamship Company (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 180. g IR) Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 31st March, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter C.1., 1906/13, of the 12th No. 164. March, and the pamphlet referred to therein. The fumigating-shed will be put in hand as soon as possible, but the orange-crop of this year is a very small one, and will be finished long before the shed can be made ready. Mr. Brown is not prepared to go to New Zealand at present, and it will probably be as well that Mr. Kirk should write fully on the subject of inspection and fumigation. I would point out that the inspection and fumigation of the fruit at this port is, in the absence

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