Aa—3

1924. NEW ZEALAND.

COOK AND OTHER ISLANDS. (In continuation of Parliamentary Paper A.-3, 1923.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

MEMORANDUM. Summaries of the annual reports of the Cook Islands and Niue Administrations are attached hereto. It was my privilege anel pleasure to pay a long-deferred visit to Rarotonga towards the end of last year. Five weeks were spent in the Group, and during this period I availed myself of an opportunity to visit the Island of Aitutaki. Unfortunately, it was not possible in the time and with the facilities at my disposal to call at any other of the outer islands. This was my first visit to the Cook Islands after an interval of nearly five years. I was recoived wijjh the greatest cordiality by the Native and European residents, anel was most hospitably entertained by them. I found the utmost good will and harmony existing between the Administration and all sections of the people, and ample; evielence of a warm regarel and. attachment for Ne;w Zealand. The trade of the Group was well, maintained during the year, and only fell short of the total for the preceding period by about £2,000 ; but as compared with last year the balance of trade was against the Islands. Administratively, the ye;ar has been one of marked progress. The facilities for handling the trade; of the port of Avarua have been greatly improved. The; Administration is indebted to the naval authorities for a, detailed survey of the roadstead, which was carried out by Lieutenant R. K. Dickson, R.N., and a party from H.M.S. " Veronica." The old wooden jetty has been replaced by a fine fe;rro-ooncrete wharf, which is longer and in eve;ry way more convenient for loading and discharging cargo than the old structure. It was my privilege to drive the first pile. A new ferro-concrete slipway has also been provided for handling the launches and lighters when the latter are being overhauled and repaired. These works were carried out to the entire satisfaction of the Administration by the Union Steamship Company. A powerful light has also been installed on the wireless mast at Aorangi, anel is proving a boon to shipping in enabling them to pick up thoir bearings when approaching the island. While at Rarotonga I considereel and approved a scheme; of education for the islands of the Nen'thern Cook Group submitted by the representative of the; London Missionary Society. A vote of £500 will be found on the estimates of the Cook Islands Department, and for this subsidy the, London Missionary' Society will provide trained full-time Native teachers, will observe our school hours and holidays, will adopt our syllabus, and will agree to the schools being open at all times for inspection by any duly appointed Administration official. The instruction will, of course, be given in the; vernacular. We; have; thus linked up the last of Ne>w Zealand's Pacific territories with the; Dominion education system. Authority has been given for an out-patients' department to be built imthe hospital grounds and for other substantial improvements to be carrieel out in the hospital building. The refrigerating plant and cool store which were; provielesei about four years ago are inadequate; to meet the present-day requirements of the community. They are being improved and enlargeei to e;ope with all demands. The; provision of cool storage has added greatly to the health and e;omfort of the residents. Last year I referreel to the serious handicap which has been imposed on trade with the more; important islands of the Lower Cook Group owing to the; lack e>f means of quick communication, and I expressed the hope that this disability wemld be removed in the case of Aitutaki and Mangaia during this season. I am glael to say that at the; present, time our experts are; engaged in equipping these islands with, wireless installations, and that communication has already been established with the; former. Those stations will work with the Rarotonga radio, and will be operated by Raro'tongan scholarship pupils who were brought from St. Stephen's College for Maori Boys, Auckland, after gaining their proficiency certificates and trained at the Wellington Wireless College by the Cook Islands Department. These; youths show great aptitude for the work, and give every promise of making successful operators. If this experiment proves the success that I anticipate a new and most interesting career will be opened for the youth of the Cook Islands. The installation of these wireless plants at Aitutaki and Mangaia should help to greatly lessen the loss of fruit cargoes which have been occasioned in the; past owing to the absence of reliable advice as te) the movements of the cargo-steamers through the Group. It is also gratifying to me to be able; to report that after many attempts we have succeeded in arranging for a steamer to maintain the service between Auckland and Nine Island. The s.s. " Rama "

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