Condition

Samoa’S

Survey of Trade and Population

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, October 28.

TTHE Fifteenth Annual Report on Wes tern Samoa to the League of Nations which has been published recently, con tains little of special importance.

It shows, however, that for the period under consideration (April 1, 1934, to March, 1935) the total trade, as well as export and import values have largely de creased, as against the figures of former years. Total trade turnover amounted to only £220,901, as compared with £324,693 for the previous year, a decrease of almost 32 per cent. Total trade thus amounted to only half the volume of the pre-war period, 1910-12. Of the total trade turn over, exports amounted to £128,117 (£173,837 in 1933) and imports to £92.784 (£150,856 in 1933), showing a favourable balance of £35,333. Imports in 1934 were 72.4 per cent, of the value of exports, as •compared with 86.8 per cent, in 1933, the decrease being due to acute economic con ditions prevailing during the year.

Exports of Samoan produce are given as follows:

Copra exports were the smallest since the 1916/18 period, while cocoa and banana exports were the largest in quantity, though not in value. It is safe to predict, however, that for the present financial year, owing to better crops and higher pro duce prices, exports and imports will show a large increase.

The revenue of the Administration, in 1934/35, amounted to £78.808 (£90,613 in 1933/34), the departments of Health and Customs showing the largest decreases: while expenditure is given as £76.505 <89,955 in 1933/34), nearly all departments showing a decrease. This leaves a small surplus for the financial year of £2.303.

The Administration now holds an accumu lated surplus of £15,755.

The administrative staff shows only slight changes. It is pointed out that of the officers in charge of departments, those in charge of education, health, native, pub lic works, postal and radio, lands and sur vey, and police—those most in contact with the Samoans—have an average Samoan service of 14| years each. Other important office-holders, such as Administrator. Col lector of Customs, Treasurer, Commissioner of Labour and Public Trustee, Auditor and Harbourmaster, and Secretary to the Ad ministration, have much shorter periods of Samoan service.

Ir regard to crime and administration of iaw, the report shows an increase of approximately 50 per cent, in criminal offences reported during the year. Most of the cases, however, were not of a serious nature.

The infant mortality rate for 1934 was 104,8 per 1000 registered births. This high rate is likely to continue until the instruc tional work undertaken by the Adminis tration amongst the natives can bear results.

Population figures for 1934, given in the report, are again based on the count taken in 1932/33, during the yaws campaign. It has been pointed out previously that these figures are quite inaccurate and the figure given for the total population (53,087) is much too high; 45,000 would probably be more correct. The numbers of persons of European and Samoan descent, as stated, are much toe low, many of these being counted as native Samoans. A fair esti mate would be about 4000. The number of persons of mixed Chinese and Samoan

blood, also counted as Samoans, are esti mated at about 1000, The number of Chinese labourers in Samoa (632 on January 1, 1934) decreased during the year by 129, only 503 being counted on December 31, 1934.

New Zealand At Geneva

Giving an account of Samoa to the Man dates Commission of the League of Nations at Geneva on October 30, the High Com missioner for New Zealand (Sir James Parr) said that 11 white and 36 native police were preserving order there among 50,000 people.

There had been a great improvement upon the former troublous conditions, he said.

A certain temporary political agitation had recently been revived. The Govern ment thought it was related to the im pending elections, but the Administrator believed that any dissatisfaction was in spired from only one quarter. The general situation was improving. Trade in 1934

Calendar year, 1933 Calendar year, 1934 Tons Value Tons Value Copra .. 11,526 £101,347 8.948 £60,654 Cocoa .. 899 41,813 1.027 29,498 Cases Cases Bananas . 81,983 26,999 96.225 35,796

had declined about 31 per cent., but had improved to a marked degree in the first three months of 1935. Prices were rising, especially for copra and bananas, and health and sanitation were improving.

The work of Samoan teachers and doc tors was entirely satisfactory.