A,—3.

No. 9. Sib, — Rarotonga, 14th June, 19G5. The Committee have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth instant, and in reply beg to state that they fully realise the necessity for the introduction of some such measures as those projected in Messrs. Kirk and Boucher's report, as under: —- 2. (a.) The committee thinks that this suggestion should be carried out, and also that the present law re the importation of plants, fruit, &c, from outside should be stringently enforced, (6.) The committee quite concurs, provided (1) that the certificate issued by the Inspector here should be taken in New Zealand as a proof that the fruit is clean; (2) that the responsible advisers of the Government have satisfied themselves that fruit after fumigation does not suffer in transit more than fruit not fumigated. 3. There is no doubt in the committee's mind as to the benefits that would accrue from prolonging the orange season in the way suggested. 4. Leaving out the financial aspect (upon which your committee does not feel itself competent to express an opinion), there can be no doubt as.to the advisability of Government plantations, particularly as the Native grower is an imitative man; and whilst it is difficult to instil improved methods of culture in the ordinary way, after ocular demonstration there is no doubt that he will readily grasp the methods and the benefits likely to accrue therefrom. This opinion presupposes a satisfactory market for produce (vide the committee's last report), otherwise the committee is afraid that the outlook for fruit is so bad that legislation in the direction indicated would be only wasting money, for the fruit industry, with the present unsatisfactory market, must come to an end soon. We have, &c, Peecy Brown, Thos. Shearman, Makea Danibla, J. W. Sharpe, Chairman. Lieut,-Colonel Gudgeon, C.M.G., Resident Commissioner. Forwarded for the information of the Hon. C. H. Mills. —W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner.

No. 10. Sir,— Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 19th June, 1905, In reply to your letter No. 111, of the 7th instant, I have the honour to inform you that the following arrangements have been made under sections 5 and 6 of "The Cook and other Islands Government Act. Amendment Act, 1904 " : — AITUTAKI. Under section 38 of the statute of this island the Resident Agent has always been the Chief Magistrate, and therefore no change was required here. The Island Council has been elected in accordance with the terms of section 6, and gazetted on page 253 of the Cook Islands Gazette of the 16th May. Mangaia. At Mangaia Mr. Large was appointed Chief Judge of the Arikis' Courts, and acted under the statute of Mangaia and such Federal Ordinances as applied to his island. He is now Chief Magistrate of Mangaia, but I have not removed the Native Judges in any island; they sit as Assessors, and this arrangement pleases the Natives and does not in any way impair the efficiency of the European Court. I have already reported to you the circumstances attending the election at Mangaia, and the Gazette notice of election is in No. 167 of the 16th May. Rarotonga. ;_-:. In the above-quoted Gazette will be found the result of the late election, but I am of opinion that section 5 of the Act does not apply here, and therefore the Judges are at present Makea and Pa. If at any time it should be advisable to do away with the Native Courts, it can be done on the death of the Arikis by refusing to gazette new Judges. Atiu. On page 249 of Gazette No. 166 will be found the result of the Atiu elections, and I have to report that I have instructed Mr...Yon Nagel to carry on the duties of Magistrate vice Utakea, dis-_ missed on account of misappropriation of Court funds. ..'.''"■"..:."...- • ;:.■;;;::■; •■; /; ;:-. ... : ■■.'.. Maukb. -'•-■'■ '-'—'" ; "'"■'"■ cv-:.: :.'.■.:..: .. -• :r :,-■; At this island we have no European Resident, but Tararo was the Native Judge before he became Resident, and still holds that position. I have not yet had the new form of Council elected for the reason that I must superintend personally anything that has to be done in this island, and I intend to hold the election when I hold the Land Court there about the end of July.

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