A.--3

5

Hospital. —Removing old native-built sides from out-patients' quarters and rebuilding with timber and netting; constructing hoods to protect from weather; extending veranda east end nurses' quarters to form outside sleeping-quarters ; necessary painting consequent on alteration, also painting all roofs. Titikaveka School. —Constructing ceiling ; making and fitting eight door-gates. Secretary's House. —Removing old kitchen and bathroom ; building new kitchen ; fitting bath and water-supply ; painting and renovating house and roof ; building septic tank. Customs Residence. —Building motor-shed ; concreting floor of lavatory ; painting roof. Fruit Inspectors House. —Repairing veranda and making new veranda-railing ; necessary painting consequent on alteration ; painting throughout. Public Works Department. —Building Public Works shed, containing timber-store, carpenters' shop, plumbers' workshop, shook-store ; building shed for Public Works trucks ; building oil-shed for freezer ; building urinal and lavatory for Public Works employees ; making and fitting five barred windows in prison ; painting all roofs and necessary wood and iron work. Teacher's House, Ngatangiia.—Coßcietmg floor of lavatory; repairing veranda, bathroom floor, and house steps, and consequent painting. Teacher's House, Arorangi. —Building ceiling in kitchen, store, and bathroom, and generally repairing, repainting, and renovating house. Foreshore. Repairing all seats an"d concrete post-and-chain fence, and improving and planting grounds along waterfront. Experimental Nursery. —Erecting small house for caretaker. Ta'kiturnu School. —Constructing partition dividing school into two parts and painting throughout, including roofs. Residence of Chief of Police. —Painting roof. Medical Officer's Residence. —Painting roof. General. —Making furniture (see separate statement herein) and repairing furniture, and making and fixing fittings in various officers' residences and Government buildings. Printing Department. — Erecting cottage for Printer; erecting extension to printing-office to accommodate stationery and stores. The following articles of furniture, &c, to the number of 183, and valued at £448 10s. 4d., were made by the Government Furniture Department between the Ist March, 1921, and the 31st March, 1922 : Single and double bedsteads, Morris chairs, wardrobes, blackboards, easels, dressing-tables, desks, card-tables, other tables, mosquito-frames, dining-chairs., wire-netting doors, wash-tubs, cupboards, cupboard-safe, meat-safe, platforms for safes, wash-tub stand, wash-basin stands, ice-chest stand, boiler-stand, curtain-rod, clothes-hangers, letter-boards, mixing-board, shelf, seat, carpenters' benches, linen-press, kitchen-dresser, typewriting-tables, stationery-cabinets, wardrobe-shelf, legs for file-shelves, gauze doors, office-stools, cinnet rocking-chair, doors, sofa, chest of drawers, chair, sideboard, etc., book-case, school-gates, notice-board, counter, stretcher-bed, stretcher-bed and mosquito-frame. Apprentices. Considerable extensions having been made to the old Public Works store-shed, suitably equipped carpenters and joiners', plumbers', and painters' shops have been established therein. At the present time there are five apprentices to carpentry and joinery, two to plumbing, and two to painting, and it is hoped that from these apprentices the Administration will in future be able to draw its skilled labour. It may be advisable later on to send the best of the lads to New Zealand to finish, but that can be decided when occasion arises. It is thought, for a number of reasons, that it will prove much better to teach the lads here than to send them to New Zealand. - The conditions on which these apprentices are taken on are as follows : Term, two years certain. Wages, 10s. a week for the first three months, 12s. 6d. a week for the second three months, 15s. for the next six months, 17s. 6d. a week for the next six months, and £1 a week for the last six months. After this each apprentice is to be paid according to his worth. New Public Works. The following new public works arc urgently required, but to carry out any one of them is beyond, the present resources of the Administration unless provision is made for raising the necessary funds either by way of loan from New Zealand or by Government grant : — (1.) A new water-supply system for Rarotonga. including necessary filter-beds, settlingtanks, &c. (Note : The present water-supply system for Avarua was laid down in the year 1906. The pipes were guaranteed by the makers as being good for ten years. They are now almost done. Breaks are of daily occurrence, and the whole system may give out at any time.) (2.) A mooring-buoy for the Rarotonga roadstead. (3.) Wireless telephones throughout the Group islands. (4.) Improved water-supplies for Aitutaki. Mangaia, and other islands. (5.) Facilities for landing cargo and loading fruit on the outer islands. Before attempting to carry out some of these works it will be advisable to send a qualified Engineer to Rarotonga to inspect and report. Roads. Up to the last few months of last year the main road round the island was in a very poor state of repair. In bad weather in places it was almost impassable. The side roads were often quite impassable. As no funds were available in the Treasury for this purpose, the only course open was to appeal to the Natives to assist in putting the roads in order. The Natives pay no taxes, the Europeans do ; and the Natives, of course, are the principal users of the roads.