29

A.—4

Dog-tax— Avarua ... ... ... .... ... 15 13 10 Arorangi ... ... ... ... .. 067 Takitumu ... ... ... ... ... 0 0 0 16 0 5 Court-fees— Avarua ... ... ... ... ... 68 0 0 Arorangi ... ... ... ... ... 14 0 0 Takitumu ... ... .. ... ... 11 15 7 93 15 7 Education rate— Avarua ... ... ... ... ... 81 4 6 Arorangi ... ... ... ... ... 21 17 5 Takitumu (for two years) ... ... ... 32 0 5 135 2 4 763 5 1 Add to this the balance in hand on the Ist July, 1897 ... ... 75 12 4 Total receipts ... ... ... £838 17 5 Expenditure, The expenditure for the year ending the 30th June, has been £632 Is. 6d., namely :— £ s. d. Public schools ... ... ... ... ... ... 172 10 0 Arikis'Courts—Judges and police ... ... ... ... 296 10 0 Expenses of the Council ... ... ... ... ... 9 10 0 Eoads and Eoad Inspector ... ... ... ... ... 65 0 0 Printing, stationery, interpreting, and general contingencies ... 60 13 6 Eent of bond ... ... ... ... ... ... 580 Auditing and departmental ... ... ... ... .. 22 10 0 £632 1 6 Leaving a balance on the Ist July, 1897, of £206 15s. lid., from which must be deducted outstanding liabilities not exceeding £50. Full accounts will, as usual, be laid before you. We do not think it necessary to say more at present. The schools and the liquor-law are all which we bring before you for consideration. In dealing with them, and all other matters for the good of Earotonga, we pray that God will give you wisdom, and His blessing on your work. For the Government, Earotonga, 31st August, 1897. Tionomana, Ariki.

From the Beitish Eesident to the Abikis (the Government of Earotonga). Salutations ! The Earotonga Council is to meet on Tuesday, 31st instant, and there are two things which I suggest you should specially bring before them —the liquor-law and the public schools. The Liquor-law has now been seven years in existence. For a long time it worked well, but in the last few months there has been great relaxation in its administration. My instructions on coming here were to report from time to time respecting the liquor-law, and in doing so some months ago I stated that it was my intention to make proposals for amendment when the Council met. The weak points are, — (1.) That the police let the people go about tipsy in the street and roads without bringing them before the Judge. (2.) That the liquor permits to Maoris are issued in the name of the Arikis by persons appointed to act for them, and those persons, being unpaid, have gradually adopted the pernicious practice of charging for each permit. (3.) The means of enforcing prohibition orders are very deficient. (4.) There is no provision to prevent the sale of bad and poisonous liquor. (1.) As to the police, the Judges are their heads, and the only people who can keep them up to the mark. (2.) As to liquor permits, a sum should be voted for the Arikis to pay monthly the persons who sign for them, and those persons should be severely punished if they then take other money for issuing permits as well. (3.) To enforce prohibition orders the long-talked-of lock-up should be finished. (4.) People should be punished for selling bad liquor. Some of the rum sold here I have Sent to Auckland for analysis, and hoped to have had the analysis back before this, but it has not yet come. Eeturning from the May mission feast at Arorangi on Queen's Birthday, I first noticed the cvi" dent increase of tipsy Maoris walking in the road, and at once wrote to the Ariki of Arorangi, hoping that the men would be fined, and no more permits issued to them till they were fit to be trusted. I have written since to others, and it is time that the law should be altered, especially as to the issue of Arikis' permits. The law about " bush beer " should also be reconsidered. The secrecy with which it is now made is probably doing more harm than open manufacture could do.