Samoan Affairs

Estimates Tobacco Industry New Medical Service Govt.’s Agriculture Policy

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Nov. 15.

AFTER a lengthy interval a meeting of the Legislative Council of Samoa was held on November 6, at which several matters of importance were discussed.

The meeting, the first for the current year, was marked by the first appearance of four new official members, Dr. Monaghan (Chief Medical Officer), Messrs.

Crowther (Treasury), McKay (Native Affairs), and Norrie (Crown Solicitor), who welcomed to the Council by the Administrator, General H. E. Hart.

The Administrator gave a retrospective review of the Administration activities.

While the last financial year showed a small Budget surplus, the estimates for the current year 1934/35 provide for a deficit of £2,581, owing to rebates of cocoa and copra export duties, granted to producers in consequence of the fall in market prices.

The Administrator referred to a new organisation of the medical service in the outer districts of Savaii and Upolu. New districts are created, each in charge of a native medical practitioner, who tours his district regularly and examines and treats school children free of charge for the common diseases of yaws, hookworm, eye trouble, and other ailments.

Reference was also made by His Excellency to the visit to Samoa of Mr. H. W.

Simmonds, Government Entomologist, of Fiji, and his valuable work and assistance in the fight against plant disease and insect pests. Several parasites and natural enemies have been introduced to Samoa as a result of Mr. Simmonds’s reports and suggestions.

Several questions on matters of importance to the European residents were referred to the Council by the Hon. A. R.

Cobcroft. He pointed out the need for better Government inspection of dairies and killing cattle, owing to tfie prevalence of tuberculosis. Mr. Cobcroft also requested the Administration to make representations to the N.Z. Government to

grant Samoan residents the same reduced round trip fares on the Maui Pomare as is allowed New Zealand tourists.

Questions were also asked regarding European children attending Government schools; and the high one-way rate of exchange between New Zealand and Samoa. In regard to the latter question it was suggested that exemption from exchange should be arranged in cases of bona fide business transactions in which suspicion of speculation could be eliminated.

Tobacco cultivation was the next subject. Assistance of tobacco growers by subsidy and exemption of export duty were considered. Expert advice was asked for to find out the possibilities for this new industry in Samoa. The Secretary (Mr. Turnbull) pointed out that at present it was very doubtful whether the commercial results of tobacco growing would justify a Government subsidy.

Next the prevalence of unemployment among European residents was discussed and the Administration was asked for relief work or some adequate measure of assistance. Closely connected with the unemployment question is the development of agricultural resources, and a question was asked by the Hon. A. R.

Cobcroft calling for a straightforward statement in regard to this by the Administrator. Was it the Administration policy to encourage agricultural development or were they rather inclined to discourage an extension of agricultural activities by European settlers?

To this the Secretary replied that it

was not the policy of the Administration to discourage any agricultural develop ment of the territory. Alienation of native land, however, was prohibited by the Berlin Treaty of 1889, and native land

could not be made available to European planters for sale or subdivision. Land is available, however, for selection from the New Zealand Reparation Estates, in sections suitable for local residents.

A bill titled the “Samoan Status Ordinance” was then introduced by the Hon.

I. H. Carruthers. This bill is designed to define the status of Europeans of part Samoan blood, who are at present unable to inherit land from their mother’s Samoan family, take seats and votes in Samoan village councils, and such like, owing to their being considered under the law as Europeans. The new measure will enable these people to declare themselves native Samoans and so enjoy the privileges which they are now debarred from.

The bill was passed without amendment.

Various other bills of minor importance were passed in due course, and the Council was then adjourned until November 27.