Savage Socialism For Samoa

“Goodwill Mission” Warns Planters that Chinese Labour System Must End

APIA, July 11.

I HAVE just come away from an amazing sight—a New Zealand Minister trying to persuade about 50 hard-headed Samoan planters to apply to their industry the principles of Savage Socialism; and then, when the planters did not fall enthusias tically into line, informing them that Socialist conditions are coming eventually, wh«ther they like it or not.

In German times this was a rich and flourishing territory. Planters and traders, both German and British, were encouraged to plant and trade, and gene rally make use of the exceedingly fertile soil. There is no labour available here.

The Samoan will not work. Why should he? He has ample land, and an extra ordinary abundance of every kind of food.

So the German authorities brought in in dentured Chinese labourers—thousands of them. A little time before the war there were some 4,000 Chinese—well-fed, well paid (for them), and happy enough— working the plantations. Everyone pros pered. The D.H. and P.G. paid an annual dividend of between 30 and 40 per cent.

Then came the war, and economic paralysis, followed by the “Old Granny Government” of New Zealand. For 16 years now Samoa has been governed by a numerous tribe of well-paid but quite unimaginative officials. They have “cleaned up” and partly educated the natives, and introduced good roads,

bridges, electric light, and water sup ply. But they have done nothing, or al most nothing, for the economic advance ment and development of the country. It is a fact that not one settler from New Zealand (apart from returned officials) has come to Samoa to engage in planting.

Some have come to Samoa and examined the position—and then have buttoned up their pockets and fled from the country.

I have never been in a richer Pacific territory than this. There is a most fer tile soil, ample rainfall, a comparative absence of pests and diseases. But I go from one end of the island to the other, and I And no prosperity and a discour aged and pessimistic community of planters. There has been a Depression, of course —but it is not enough to explain this condition of affairs. The answer is found in the attitude of some of the older Britishers, who say quite openly that this petty little Government from New Zea land is nothing short of a calamity, and urge that, since it is not possible to re establish pre-1914 conditions, an effort should be made to have Samoa taken over by the British Colonial Office.

There are many charges against the N.Z. authorities, all summed up in years of indifference of officialdom towards the needs of the planters and the possibilities of the planting industry.

Then* is, for instance, the matter of labour. When New Zealand took charge

here in 1920 there were perhaps 1,200 Chinese labourers. To-day there are 390.

New Zealand allowed many plantations to return to the jungle. Then the Depres sion reduced the labour needs of many plantations; but now that the market for

copra, cocoa, etc., is much improved, planters are looking around for more labour. The prospect is alarming.

A rumour ran along the beach last week that it had been decided that one way in which this Socialist Mission would ex press goodwill would be to banish the Chinese labour—not only the artisans of the town, but also the essential labourers from the plantations.

The planters were literally stunned by the news. Therefore, when it was made known that to-day the Goodwill Mission would meet the planters, to discuss pre sent conditions and future prospects, the attendance was large. About 50 planters, British and German, were there, and the manager of the Reparation Estates.

Perhaps it should be explained that when New Zealand occupied this country the German planters were returned to Germany, and their plantations were taken

over and operated by a Government insti tution called Reparation Estates, and the profits therefrom were credited to Ger many’s war-debt to the Allies. The Estates have provided comfortable jobs for some worthy and doubtless deserving officials; but their profits have not been a particularly startling quantity. Ger man planters who had married Samoan wives were allowed to remain in the country; and to-day they form an import ant section of the much reduced Samoan planting community.

To-day’s assembly was interesting.

Without exception they were a well-set up, capable-looking lot of men—l have not seen.a better looking lot of men in any Pacific territory. But they eyed the Minister with great uneasiness—what was he going to do to them? They placed before him their various requests—facts and figures were effectively marshalled to show the need for assisting the planting industry, both in removing restrictions on production, and in finding new markets.

And, of course, they laid weight upon the need for a dependable supply of planta tion labour.

The Minister’s reply can be summed up in half a dozen sentences. New Zealand’s obligation was first of all to the natives — the planting industry, and the welfare of the Europeans, while important, were sec ondary considerations. New Zealand would try to assist the planters by (1) consuming more Samoan bananas and paying a higher price for them; (2) seek ing, through the new New Zealand Socialist Government’s marketing organ isation a new and better foreign market for copra and cocoa. Chinese labour must go —not immediately perhaps, but even tually; and the possibility of using native and half-caste labour must be fully ex plored. The Mission was gravely con cerned over the long hours worked and low wages paid in Samoa—a 40-hours’ working week must be introduced, and there must be higher wages.

For a time the planters seemed speech less. Then there were some pointed in terjections.

When the Minister referred com placently to the banana position a planter said that, at present rates, there was mighty little profit in the banana trade.

Higher prices were essential.

The Minister replied, with some heat, that the N.Z. Government at considerable expense had put on the Maui Pomare to carry bananas, and thus had saved Samoa.

“Don’t think that Samoa is worth a penny piece to us,” he said, “or that we are getting anything out of it all. Samoa is worth nothing to New Zealand—we are simply trying to carry out our obliga tion.”

No one apparently had the courage to suggest what all were thinking—that if only New Zealand would retire from Samoa and give some other Government a chance everyone would be happy, in cluding New Zealand herself.

Some of the planters protested that if they were deprived of Chinese labour they would inevitably be ruined —the Samoans and European-Samoans cannot be de pended upon.

“I am sure that the Samoans will work,” said the Minister. “See how well the young men cultivate the gardens around their secondary schools, and how they work in the mission plantations.”

The planters pointed out, sadly, that the Samoans worked in those places not for money but for position. Mission students became pastors, for instance, and after that they would work no more as labourers.

The Minister, with the assurance born of ignorance and Socialist prejudice, said that he was sure that the Samoans even

tually could be induced to work, thus allowing the abolition of the hateful sys tem of using indentured Chinese coolies.

Other speakers declared that a 40hours’ week and larger wages were im possible—the planters barely could live under present conditions.

The Minister, in the manner of a kindly teacher, said that of course it was recognised that, if costs were to be in creased, income must be increased also.

Therefore, there would be more bananas consumed in New Zealand; and the Socialist Government’s brand-new plan for marketing New Zealand products over seas would also be responsible for bigger and better markets for Samoan copra and cocoa.

The audience sat stunned and silent.

No one asked how the little New Zealand Government, selling its little bit of Samoan copra, was going to deal with the Unilever combine, which sits atop of the vegetable oil-seeds market of the world. No one protested against the idea of tying poor, helpless Samoa to the tail of New Zealand’s “great Socialistic ex periment in marketing.”

The Minister argued that, as the Samoans “advanced and progressed,” they would abandon their present stan dard of life, and would need more articles of European manufacture, and therefore would work.

The audience listened, politely, to this Socialist idea of the commercial enslave ment of a people who now live free and happy, and able to provide with very little work for all their simple needs. They pointed out that the Samoan natives have plenty of land, and when they want money they will cultivate their land and sell the produce, instead of working for others.

The Minister’s companion, Mr. O’Brien, told the meeting about the early history

of the Queensland sugar industry to prove his contention that the removal of the Chinese labourers would not ruin Samoa, The sugar plantations were worked by kanakas and other indentured labourers, he said: and when they were all removed, and white labour substituted, everyone cried out that the industry would be de stroyed. Instead of that the industry to day is extremely prosperous.

No one present had the heart to remind the well-meaning gentleman that the cases are in no sense parallel—that Queensland sugar is consumed in Aus tralia, under a frightfully heavy tax which keeps all foreign sugar out and provides a bonus to allow surplus Queensland sugar to be exported. Samoa could no more consume its own products (copra, cocoa, bananas) than it could hop on one leg to Fiji.

“I must reaffirm, friends,” said the Minister, in conclusion, “that we are very concerned about the Chinese position, and the hours and wages position. However, we realise your position, and we are not going to make any sudden change—we want to help you.”

And with that the meeting dispersed, very gloomily.

Later.

Already the glad news is circulating.

The Chinese coolies are reported to be restless and demanding more money, as recommended by “big fella Minista.”

Yet, whenever it is known in Hong Kong and Canton that a couple of hundred Chinese are wanted for the Samoan plan tations (1/9 per day, with comfortable quarters and native Samoan wives, if re quired) recruits are available in tens of thousands.

H. W. Robson.