A.—3.

POST OFFICE. During the year just ended all usual postal services and telegraphic services throughout the Cook Group were maintained. Mail Services. —A satisfactory service is being maintained by the Marine Post-offices, the mails arriving at regular intervals and in good order. Telephone Service. —This branch of the service suffered considerable damage during the hurricane experienced in February last, and a considerable quantity of material will be required to restore the circuits and provide an efficient service. Savings-bank. —The summary of transactions in this branch of the work is as follows : Deposits— Ordinary, £9,708 10s. Bd. ; Suspense Account, ss. : total deposits, £9,708 15s. Bd. Withdrawals— Ordinary £11,277 13s. 3d. ; dormant, £16 7s. 9d : total withdrawals, £11,294 Is. Excess of withdrawals over deposits, £1,585 ss. 4d. Accounts. —Accounts opened during year, 199 ; accounts closed during year, 83 : total number of accounts opened at 31st March, 1935, 1,341. Amount at credit, £23,227 18s. Id., which is a decrease of £923 Bs. Bd. for the year. Money-orders. —Paid: Number of orders, 220 ; amount, £3,194 6s. 9d. Issued: Number of orders, 703 ; amount, £7,491 6s. 10d. ; commission, £91 7s. 9d. This section of the work shows a slight decrease in the number of transactions, and the amount, than the figures for the previous year. Postal Notes. —Number of notes sold, 1,431 ; amount, £529 ss. sd. ; commission, £13 Is. Postage Stamps. —Total sales (all sources), £659 7s. 4d. This figure shows a decrease of £349 2s. 9d. against the amount for the corresponding period last year. Radiograms. —Forwarded : Number, 2,081 ; cash value, £1,017 9s. 2d. Eeceived : Number, 1,982. The cash value of messages shows an increase of £130 11s. 5d., which may be attributed to increased traffic during the recent hurricane. WIEELESS. With the exception of a period of two days, from the 27th to the 29th March, when BadioAitutaki was out of action, an efficient service has been maintained by the five radio stations under the control of this Administration. A combined long-short wave 500 watt transmitter has replaced the obsolete kw. Marconi spark transmitter at this station. All five radio stations in the Lower Cook Group are now equipped with valve transmitters. Those in use at Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke, and Mangaia are low-power-valve transmitters, with dry batteries as the source of power-supply. The disastrous storm which raged in the Lower Cook Group from the 7th to the 11th February caused seas to sweep through the grounds of the wireless station. Trees and bush were swept from the foreshore, and the station grounds and fences were damaged. All supporting stays on the northern and western foreshore masts were strained or broken and the masts rendered unsafe. The main umbrella aerial was broken, and schedules with the outer island and ship stations were carried out with the use of a temporary aerial. The short-wave aerial was also broken during the height of the storm on the Sunday night, but temporary repairs were effected immediately, thus enabling communication with New Zealand to be maintained. Overhaul of the outer masts and stays was completed in March, and it is anticipated that overhaul of the remaining outer masts, stays, and the steel tower will be completed by the end of April. One amateur transmitting and fifteen radio-receiving licenses were issued during the year. Four thousand one hundred and eighty-four paid messages, totalling 59,531 words, were handled by Eadio-Earotonga. In addition, forty-five free messages, totalling 1,700 words, were transmitted or received. Included in the latter total are free Naval messages and messages in connection with the visit of the N.Z.G.S. " Matai " during February and March. Additional free services, including medical advice to the Lower Group Islands, amounted to 19,000 words. Of this total, 3,ooo"words were in connection with free medical advice to Atiu and Mauke, and 3,000 words were necessary during the storm period in February. Two hundred and forty thousand words of free press were received during the year. Eadio-Rarotonga also maintained a thrice-weekly press service to the four Lower Group stations, 20,000 words of local and international news being supplied. POLICE. The strength of the police force at Earotonga remains the same as last year —viz., one European Inspector, two Native sergeants, and six Native constables : total, nine. In the outer islands there are thirty-six police officers stationed as follows : Aitutaki, seven ; Atiu, four ; Mitiaro, three ; Mauke, four ; Mangaia, six ; Manihiki and Eakahanga, six ; Penrhyn, three ; Pukapuka, three. The police in the outer islands are all Natives and are under the immediate control of the Eesident Agents. They have carried out their duties satisfactorily. Prosecutions. —During the year 1,472 cases came before the High Court. Fines amounting to £964 ss. were imposed. The previous year's figures were : Cases before the Court, 1,436 ; fines imposed, £992 Bs. 6d.

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