In Samoa

Taxation Of Natives

Interesting Comparison With Fiji and Tonga

THE question of the differentiation in the copra export tax was raised by the Hon. Tamasese in the Legislative Council (reports “New Zealand Herald”).

He asked why the rate to Samoans was 30/- a ton seeing that to Europeans, who did not pay the personal tax, it was 20/-.

“This matter was bound up with the whole budgeting position of the territory’, said the Acting Administrator, Mr. Turn bull. If the Samoans were paying per sonal tax, as they did in former years, the extra 10/- on copra would gladly be remitted. On the present population the Treasury would be receiving £lB,OOO a year from Samoans, whereas they only paid between £4,000 and £5,000 in copra tax. Europeans had had the personal tax remitted, but they had a salary tax, business tax and other taxes that natives did not pay and the total was much higher per head than that of Samoans. If a per sonal tax was paid no doubt the extra tax could be remitted. As compared with Fiji and Tonga, the natives paid very little in taxes. The cost of native organi sation had increased considerably. Large numbers of Samoans had been taken into the service and there had been a revision of their pay.

Special Services Provided

Hon. C. C. McKay said the Samoans did not pay 10/- a ton extra for nothing. Ser vices were provided for them that the Europeans did not get. Native and village organisations cost over £4,000 a year, there was a special court for native affairs, a lands and titles Court, a special news paper, a special fono of faipule and free hospital treatment. None of these services was represented by a corresponding ser vice for Europeans and the cost far ex ceeded the amount collected on native copra.

Hon. Tamasese: Samoans pay more into the revenue as far as licenses and duty are concerned. No Samoan would object to pay salary tax if he had a three figure income. The turnover tax (sales and stores) is really paid by the natives.

Help In Solving Problems

Hon. C. C. McKay: Take Tonga. They pay a personal tax of 36/- and £1 on copra, and a village tax of 4/- for the equivalent of the pulinu’u, leoleo and scribes. By this means the most numer ous class of officials was carried without any call on the central treasury.

The Acting Administrator; I would be quite prepared to recommend to the Gov ernment that the tax be remitted if there were some means of making it up. Per haps the Hon. Tamasese might tell the council how the amount could be made up.

Hon. Tamasese said he recommended the reduction so that Samoans would pay the same as Europeans. The Acting Admini strator would be quite capable of finding some means of getting it out of the people.

The Acting Administrator: Thank you.

I am glad to hear you have such faith in my powers; but, all the same, I would like to have your help sometimes in solv ing these problems. -Mrs. Vowels, wife of the Mayor of Thursday Island, Alderman E. H. Vowels, arrived in Brisbane recently to spend a long holiday.