A.—3

10

The imports were valued at £26,339, which created a record for the island. The exports reached £16,721, thus making a total trade value of £43,060. Port of Alofi. Return of Imports for the Year ended 31st December, 1921. £ £ New Zealand .. .. .. 22,780 Tonga .. .. 5 United Kingdom .. .. .. 504 United States of America, West Coast .. 27 Canada .. .. . . . . 11 American Samoa .. .. .. 50 Australia .. .. .. .. 2,676 Western Samoa .. .. .. 286 £26,339 Return of Exports for the Year ended 31st December, 1921. £ £ New Zealand .. .. .. 14,891 American Samoa .. .. .. 113 Rarotonga .. .. .. .. 85 Western Samoa .. .. .. 1,632 £16,721 Shipping. The following vessels visited the island during the period under review : " Ysabel " (four trips), H.M.S. " Veronica " (three times), " Wairuna," H.M.S. " Chatham," " Tutanekai," " John Williams," " Ajax," and the French sloop " Aldebaran," once each. Education. Owing to various circumstances, education has, on the whole, suffered a set-back— both Government schools'being affected. Tufukia attendances :— Boys. Girls. Total. Roll at beginning of first quarter .. .. .. 127 101 228 Roll at end of last quarter .. .. 125 92 217 Average attendances during year . . . . .. 98-68 81-94 180-80 On account of the appointment of Mr. Evison as Resident Commissioner the Hakupu School remained closed from the beginning of the year until the arrival of Mr. Bolton in June. Unfortunately he took ill a fortnight after commencement, and school was accordingly closed for a further period of two weeks. Since then, however, things have been satisfactory, and the work in the school has been making steady but undeniable progress. The school for adults was also continued. Hakupu attendances : — Boys. Girls. TotalRoll at beginning of first quarter .. ~...■ ~ 58 47 105 , Roll at end of last quarter .. .. .. 54 41 95 Average attendances during year .. . . .. 50-64 37-74 88-38 Hospital. This building is nearing completion, and should be finished in two weeks' time. The delay has been caused partly by want of material and partly through time spent in repair to other buildings. In another three weeks' time it should be ready to receive patients. Medical and Health. Extracts from Report of Resident Medical Officer. The visits to the dispensary for consultations and. for drugs numbered 8,388, while the surgical out-patients department has been well patronized. Where possible — i.e., where there were capable and reliable men —I have continued the practice of leaving such drugs and mixtures as the season, appeared to demand, and this has been a great help. Thus Hakupu, Mutalau, and Hikutavake have been treated. In a few other villages the police were entrusted with a little aspirin and purgatives. I have myself made visits to the outlying villages to 1,300 cases. During the year there were no epidemics worthy of mention, and yet the death-rate was high. Represented graphically, however, we see a steady fall. The birth-rate is fair, and for 1921 births exceed the deaths by six. I hope the tide has turned. There was a surprisingly high death-rate among the aged —over one-third. They are still very callous with their old folk, and the deaths are in many cases due to the want of the ordinary necessities of life. The infantile-death rate, too, is still very high—more than three times that of New Zealand. Ido not yet see the progress anticipated in this direction. Old customs die hard. At present the infants mainly fail in the weaning process. , •