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Cook Islands Administration, Estimated Expenditure on Public Works during Year ending 31st March, 1915. Penrhyn— £ s - d - Agent's house .. .. • • • • .... 600 0 0 Blasting channel .. .. • • • • • • ■ • 50 0 0 Manihiki— Blasting boat-passage, Tauhuna .. . . -. • • 400 0 0 Roofing Courthouse, and connecting with tank .. ... 125 0 0 Aitutaki — Bores for water .. .. • ■ • ■ • • ■ • 300 0 0 Concrete floor of new shed . . . ■ • • • • • • 75 0 0 Mauke —Improving road, northern landing .. .. • • 50 0 0 Mangaia —Tram-line from shed to landing .. .. • • 150 0 0 Rarotonga — Police quarters .. .. •• •• •■ •• 400 0 0 Increasing size water-pipes at Arorangi .. .. • • 150 0 0 Muri water-supply .. ■ • • • • • • • 500 0 0 Roads .. 100 0 0 Takutea—Clearing .. •• •• ■• •• 150 0 0 Group —Upkeep Government Buildings .. .. • • 100 0 0 Experimental nursery .. .. • ■ • • • • 200 0 0 Teachers' residences, and furnishing same and schools . . .. 2,000 0 0 £5,350 0 0 H. W. NORTHCROFT, Resident Commissioner.

Report of Registrar of Courts. High Court of the Cook Islands. g IB _ Rarotonga, 9th April, 1914. I have the honour to report that the following was the work done in the High Court during the year ended the 31st March, 1914. Criminal cases to the number of 312 were dealt with under the following heads :-— 1913-14. 1912-13. Adultery and illegal cohabitation .. .. .. .. 10 Assault ..... 25 20 Breach of fruit regulations .. .. .. • • .. 4 16 Breach of the peace .. ' • ■ • • • • ... 26 Bush-beer making .. .. . ■ • • • • .. 65 ) Drunkenness .. • ■ • ■ • • • • .. 60 j Illegal importation of liquor (Licensing Act) .. .. .. 6 2 Manslaughter .. . • • • • • • • .. 1 Rape ] Slander U Smuggling liquor (Customs Act) .. . • • • .. 8 1 Theft m il Trespass by persons .. . • • • • • .. 4 Wandering animals .. .. • • ••■ • .. 5 2 Miscellaneous petty offences .. .. .. ■ • .. 25 60 312 284 Under the provisions of the Wandering Animals Ordinance, 1902, which permits the police to collect fines from the owners of animals found wandering, the eight Native official police of Rarotonga collected fines from forty-eight offenders, and the special police appointed for the Settlement of Arorangi collected fines from forty-three offenders. The individual fines imposed for bush-beer making and drinking have been more severe than m any previous period. The number of such offences is precisely the same as last year. The number of offenders prosecuted for thefts has been larger than usual, while several other such offences (some of a serious nature) have been reported to the police, but so far without discovery of the offenders. The absence for a very considerable period of a European police officer has, I think, led to the increase in this class of offence, as well as occasioning difficulty in the collection of fines and in the enforcement of the judgments and orders of the Court. lam of opinion also—and many Natives agree with me—that the picture-shows are largely responsible for the increase m certain classes of crime by the illustration of thefts, burglaries, and even more serious crimes, and I am sure it would be well if the exhibition of pictures of that class were prohibited.