Planters' Debts

Dissatisfaction In Samoa

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia, Apr. 20

'T'HERE has been considerable dissatis * faction lately amongst planters and other European residents regarding the attitude of the N.Z. Government Debt Postponement Board.

This Board was set up by the Govern ment to give relief to European debtors, who had suffered from the depression and owed the Government and the N.Z.

Reparation Estates large amounts for rents, Chinese overhead expenses, and other dues.

Though the “Goodwill Mission” as sured planters that the Board would ease their position and would if necessary remit a large portion of the old dobts incurred to enable them to rehabilitate themselves, the latter contend that the Board is wholly unsympatetic and does not carry out the instructions and good intentions of the N.Z. Government. On the contrary, they allege, it intimidates and threatens planters with eviction to force them to pay immediately large amounts of money owing.

Members of the Board are officials, who it is pointed out, have no knowledge of the actual position of the planters and lack the sympathy with which the N.Z.

Government promised to handle the problem. The planters demand that they, who are so vitally concerned in its acti vities, should be adequately represented on the Board, which at present, they say, acts in a high-handed an? autocratic manner.

Because of the reported prevalence in Australia of three-day sickness in cattle, the Fiji Government has prohibited the importation of cattle from the Common wealth until further notice.