Roses"

Samoa as "A Bed of Roses"

UNDER “Sly Grog in Samoa,” in October, our Apia correspondent commented on the sly grog trade and said that Euronesians and Samoans had been given gaol while a wealthy Chinese resident escaped with a fine.

He said that another source of public irritation was the manner of price fixing, and the shortage of various commodities.

Mr. P. W. Glover, of Apia, in a letter to the editor, describes the article as “irresponsible, misleading and mischiev ous.” He fiercely defends the High Court of Samoa against what he calls “an ignorant attack charging . . . partiality in the administration of justice”; but he makes no attempt to explain the subject of our article —namely, an apparent extraordinary inconsistency in the ad ministration of justice.

In regard to price-fixing, Mr. Glover claims special knowledge, and he is, “con vinced that the regulations have been faithfully and impartially administered in Samoa —probably more rigidly than in any other country . . .

“Price Orders for specifically controlled goods have been published on 169 occa sions and deal with a total of 887 items inclusive of alterations to fixed prices.

The article implies that Samoan firms are openly flouting the regulations without fear of prosecution. Probably there are some unscupulous traders in Samoa, but your correspondent has no right to con demn all for the sins of the few.

“It is true that there is a shortage of rice; but before the war nearly all our rice came from Burma. The Administra tion quite properly gives the small quan tities now available to the Chinese. I am certain that any sick person could obtain rice on a medical certificate.

There is no general shortage of flour, biscuits, soap, and other essentials.

“During this war, Samoa has been one of the most favoured countries in the Pacific, and it is a pity that your cor

respondent has not something better to do than to complain so bitterly about the few crumpled petals in what is really a bed of roses.”