Samoa Under War
p. 63 · Read in the full issue
Conditions
From Our Own Correspondent
Apia. Oct. 27.
OAMOA under war conditions shows >5 very little change from normal life.
The uniforms of the Samoan Defence Force are more frequently seen and, the community feels the gradual increase in commodity and imported food prices— especially sugar, rice and tobacco, on which increased duties have been levied.
A complete control of benzine and kero sene consumption, of foodstuffs and food prices, and particularly of wheaten flour, has been established. Mr. D. R. Eden, general manager of the New Zealand Re paration Estates, has been appointed Food Controller, Oil Fuel Controller and Wheat Flour Controller, for the purposes of the emergency regulation now in force.
The European ladies of Apia have formed a Red Cross Society and a patriotic society—the latter (of which Mrs. Wallace is president) for the pur pose of providing comforts for the per manent members of the Local Defence Force.
All except 14. out of the 41 Germans who originally were detained have been released on parole, and are following their usual occupations.
The local price of copra is 4/6 per 100 lb., and large quantities are being de livered by the natives. A splendid cocoa crop is being picked and, with the re ported considerable rise in price, cocoa planters should benefit greatly.
A small schooner, 48 ft. long, 13 ft. beam, and with a 42 h.p. engine as auxiliary, has just been completed at the boatbuilding yards of the Kwato Mission, Samarai, Eastern Papua. The vessel was designed by Mr. Arthur Swin field, while he was technical instructor at the mission, and has been completed by native workmen trained by Mr, Swin field.
Sheeba Options N.L., a mining com pany formed in Sydney in 1934 with a capital of £l,OOO and registered in New Guinea early in 1935 to operate in the Morobe district, was struck off the regis ter of N.G. companies in October at its own request.