A—3.

No. 45. Sir,— Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington, 18th May, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your report of the sth April last for the year ended the 31st March, 1908. I have, &c, James McGowan. The Resident Commissioner, Niue.

No. 46. Sir, — Niue Island Administration, Niue, 15th January, 1908. I have the honour to transmit t,o you herewith the returns of imports and exports for Niue Island for the year ended 31st December, 1907. Imports. You will observe that the total imports for the year were valued at £8,491, as compared with £6,707 for the preceding calendar year. Included in the imports for 1907 is specie valued at .£7OO, but apart from the specie the figures for last year exceed those for the previous year by £1,084. Turning to the principal items it will be found that apparel and slops amounted to £823, as against £508 for 1906; biscuits, £520, as against £329; cotton piece-goods, £1,293, as against £1,136; drapery, £524, as compared with £309; meats (preserved), £561, as against £545. Following is a comparison of the value of the imports for the years 1906 and 1907, and the value and proportion to the total imported from each country : —

Exports. The exports for the year ended 31st December, 1907, as compared with those for the preceding calendar year, show a falling-off from £8,315 to £7,955, or £360. A reference to the principal items shows that the export of copra was less by 176 tons and £1,457, while fungus shows a decline of 2,3201b. and £30 value. The most satisfactory feature of the return is the large increase in the number and value of hats exported, those for the year 1907 amounting to 4,441 dozen, valued at £2,952, as against 2,233 dozen for £1,474 exported during 1906, an increase of 2,208 dozen and £1,478. In my last annual report I ventured to predict that the output of copra for the year under review would be much above the average, and, indeed, it would have been but for heavy winds and unfavourable weather at the critical stage causing the young nuts to fall. However, the prospects for 1908 copra-crop appear to indicate that last year's output will be considerably exceeded. I am pleased to be able to report that the hat trade is again in a sound condition. From the number of large orders that have already come to hand it appears that the Niue plaited hats are in great demand, and it is more than likely that the output for the current year will exceed 6,000 dozen. Altogether the prospects for 1908 may be considered very satisfactory.

45

1906. ■7. Country. Value. Proportion, per cent, to Total. Value. Proportion, per cent, to Total. Few Zealand aistralia 'onga [alden Island rerman Samoa .. larotonga Inited States of America .. Ingland 'ago Pago rermany Few Guinea [iscellaneous £ 5,079 646 268 85 334 16 94 151 ••□ 29 4 1 75-73 9-63 4-00 1-27 4-98 0-24 1-40 2-25 £ 6,803 924 239 187 158 72 46 35 16 11 80-12 10-88 2-82 2-20 1-86 0-85 0-54 0-41 0-19 0-13 .. I 0-43 0-06 0-01 6,707 100-00 8,491 100-00