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A.—3a

term be reduced to twenty-one years, because we have heard of the land laws of New Zealand made by the Parliament of New Zealand concerning the Maori lands in New Zealand, that the leases are there made for terms of from seven to fifty years with clauses'providing for revaluation every seven years. This is what we think : that we should be paid for lands leased every half-year— that is, the man leasing from the Maori should pay the rent half-yearly, because the fruit-trees on those lands are producing all the year and every year. Considering this, we think that a revaluation should be made every five years. At it is we see that the lands already leased for ninety-nine years are the same as if they were lands that have been sold absolutely, and that we will never get repossession of them. We do not know for certain if the Parliament approved of this, or if it was the work of Colonel Gudgeon. We agreed to this kind of lease because we were ignorant and knew no better. 3. We have another request to make concerning the lands on the seaward side of the main road of the island—lands that have been surveyed and passed the Court. The Government prevents us from using these lands, and now this is what we tell to illustrate our meaning : A landowner was summoned before the Court because he cut down trees on his own land. There is another thing— that is, the lands in the mountains : they have not been surveyed. For other portions of our lands we have the Court orders and plans, but these lands in the mountains have been left out; therefore we want to know if these lands will be surveyed and heard before the Court at some future date. 4. We make petition that we be allowed an independent Parliament of our own for the Cook Islands. 5. We also petition for a teacher to be appointed to come and teach our children, so that our children may learn and gain knowledge so that they may be able to do the Government work and the work of the law that may be satisfactory to all. 6. We are looking at the present administration on the island. That administration is in one hand —in our Resident Commissioner's hands. That is too much for him to do, because he is our Resident Commissioner and is therefore the guardian of all the people of the Cook Islands. He also has the position and power of Chief Judge. Therefore we want that he have one position only—that of Resident Commissioner—because he is the best man for that position, and looks after us properly and carries out the administration of government well. Let it be this way : that he with the Council watch our welfare and see that justice is done by the Judge of the Courts. This is our wish, 0 Chief Judge. 7. There is another request : we want you, the Government, to appoint a Native doctor to attend to the sick. From the People of Arorangi. Arorangi, 18th June, 1911. To you the representative of His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, also the Chief Justice, and to Te Heu Heu, Ariki, and to all those who came with you to our island of Rarotonga and who have come to visit us at our settlement at Arorangi this 20th day of June, greeting to you in the name of God ! We now place before you so that you may know what we want—because you told us to say what we wanted to say, to stare those things that we desired : therefore we tell you, firstly — 1. The laws of our ancestors —that is, the laws of the Arikis and the chiefs —we desire that they be given back to us. 2. About leasing lands, we do not want leases made for a longer term than nine years. 3. We want a Parliament and members of Parliament our own absolutely. 4. We do not want our Native doctors (tohungas) debarred or done away with. Ihere remains more yet to be said, but we leave it at that. From the Mataiapos of Arorangi.

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