36

A.—3

Education.

The public-school building having been completed, and the schoolmaster selected by the New Zealand Government —Mr. G. H. Malcolm, late of Takahiwai Maori School —having arrived, we are now only awaiting the arrival of the school furniture and requisites before commencing work. The twomonths interval that will probably elapse before the goods come to hand will enable Mr. Malcolm to ■gain an insight-.into the local conditions, and the manners and customs of the Natives, that will be of great benefit to him. As Mr. Malcolm is skilled in wood and metal working, the establishment of a technical branch is assured. This will tend to popularise the school in no small degree, and, judging from the credentials of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm, I am of the opinion that the Administration has secured the services of a couple in every way adapted to the requirements of the island. It is proposed to open the school with a full complement of seventy pupils—say, forty-four boys and twenty-six girls of varying ages—and in the course of a few years, or as soon as possible, to establish small schools in the various villages, and place the most competent and suitable scholars in charge of them, and thereby relieve the central school from teaching the elementary subjects. It may be found necessary later on to acquire by lease or purchase a further block of land, on which to grow the food for the Native pupils ; but the subject has not been discussed, and I think it would be wise to defer any action in the matter until the actual requirements are known. Many of the pupils will be drawn from villages which are a considerable distance from the school, consequently they will stay at the school from Monday morning until Friday afternoon, during which time they will have to be fed. The present proposal is that such pupils shall each bring to the school every Monday morning a certain quantity of uncooked food, and that further supplies, will be sent in by the parents as required. There is some doubt in my mind as to whether the proposed system will work satisfactorily ; but, in the event of it not doing so, I do not anticipate any difficulty in the matter of acquiring further land on which the pupils will plant and cultivate sufficient food for their needs, and thereby make the institution self-contained in the matter of food-supplies. The results obtained at the school during the first year or so will, I anticipate, be small, as there are many initial difficulties to be overcome ; but, once they are surmounted, the spread of the English language will be fairly rapid, as the Native children are very bright, and will, I think, prove very apt pupils. H. Cornwall, Niue, 10th April, 1909. Resident Commissioner.

Statement of Revenue and Expenditure for the Year ended 31st March, 1909. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. April!, 1908—Balance brought forward .. 1,743 010 Salaries, — £ s. d. £ s. d. Customs duties collected in Assistant .. .. 157 1 1 Niue .. .. £1,029 1 (i Councillors .. .. 122 11 10 Customs duties collected in Native Magistrates . . 45 1 8 New Zealand.. .. 371 4 3 „ police .. 53 1 2 1,400 5 9 377 15 9 Court fines and fees .. .. . . 114 13 0 Allowances, — Emigration fees . . . . .. 22 12 0 Councillors .. .. 12 0 Trading licenses .. . . . . 52 5 0 Native police .. 0 6 0 Shipping fees .. .. .. .. 3 17 0 18 0 Stamp-sales, Niue .. £31 1.4 1 Horse-feed .. .. .. .. 12 10 7 „ New Zealand 19 13 8 Printing, stationery, &c. .. .. 9 0 0 51 7 9 Niue Public Library .. .. .. 013 0 Refund " Countess of Ranfurly" Insurance Miscellaneous labour .. .. .. 29 G 3 Fund .. .. .. 100 0 0 Trap and harness .. .. .. 33 19 9 Interest on investments .. .. .. 48 18 7 Horse-hire .. .. .. .. 010 0 Profit on liquor sold under " The Licensing Purchase of horse, and freight thereon .. 15 17 9 Acts Amendment Act, 1904 " .. .. 4 0 1 Furniture for Residency .. .. 910 8 Sundry receipts .. .. . . 113 9 (toe - sixth loss on running" "Government schooner " Countess of Ranfurly " for the year ended 31st March, 1908 .. .. 54 5 4 Refund to New Zealand Government on account of overpayment of Customs duties in the year 1905-6 '.. .. .. 356 15 5 Cost of collection of Customs duties in New Zealand during the year 1907-8 .. 4 1111 -■" Sundry disbursements .. .. .. 0 8 5 Public Works—labour, — Makefu Reservoir .. £22 18 6 Tamakautoga Reservoir 26 5 0 Maintenance of reservoirs 1 12 6 Alofi-Liku Road .. 9 2 0 Avatele-Hakupu Road 6 10 0 Repairs to and painting Government Buildings 42 18 6 Erecting new store shed 3 18 0 Levelling Tufu School site and grounds .. .. 48 16 6 Erection of Tufu Public School 434 11 3 Erection of schoolmaster's residence, Tufu .. 26 19 6 Construction of reservoir, Tufu 23 0 0 640 11 9 Material and goods, and freight thereon .. 790 10 8 Compensation for cocoanut trees destroyed 2 0 0 March 31, 1909— Balance, — Cash in hand .. £146 13 4 Account current, Bank of New Zealand .. 59 14 8 Fixed deposit .. 1,000 0 0 1,206 8 0 £3,552 9 9 £3^552 — 9 9 H. Cornwall, 10th April, 1909. Resident Commissioner.