W. Samoa's Cocoa

Industry

European Planters Being Driven Out by Lack of Labour

,Jj/ E have received inquiries about the position and prospects of the

cocoa-planting industry of Western

Samoa especially from American servicemen. Our correspondent in Samoa, himself an experienced cocoa

planter, has kindly supplied the

following information.

THE total population of Western Samoa is now well over 65,000, or double that of 1921-22. Of this total, some 61,000 are Samoan natives, 3,500 part- Europeans (Euronesians), 400 Europeans, 300 Chinese labourers. 150 other (free) Chinese, and small numbers of natives from Fiji, Solomons, New Guinea, Toke lau, Niue and other The number of Melanesians is about %.

Though Savaii is nearly double the size of Upolu, its population is only one-third of the total population, or some 22,000 — practically all (with the exception of some 20 Europeans and about 50 part- Europeans) Samoan natives.

There are, unfortunately, no statistical figures at all available giving particulars of acreage under cocoa, in bearing and planted.

There is a large number of small plan tations belonging to part-Europeans, which are planted with bananas and interplanted with cocoa—many of which plantations are in bearing, while others have young cocoa not yet in bearing.

The larger European cocoa plantations suffered considerably during th® time the American defence forces were in Samoa as the latter absorbed practically all the plantation labour available, and European

planters found it impossible, in spite of good cocoa prices, to keep their plan tations clean, and even to pick their crops.

With the departure pf the American troops the labour situation has become somewhat easier, though wages are still ' high and the Samoans are, in many cases, unwilling to do the required tasks, after the comparatively easy time at higher wages they had when working for the Americans. mHE largest plantation owner is still the JL New Zealand Government, running former German-owned cocoa plan tations seized during the last war as “New Zealand Reparation Estates.” They also employ most of about 300 Chinese coolies still in Samoa. Apart from the NZRE, there are not more than about 15 to 20 European-owned large cocoa plantations; while in Savai’i (the above-mentioned are on Upolu Island) there are about half a dozen small cocoa plantations owned by Europeans.

Samoans have planted large areas in cocoa during the last few years and, while European production is stationary (if not decreasing), Samoan native production is certainly increasing rapidly. The total cocoa production is at present between 2.000 and 2,500 tons annually, of which about 1,500 tons are produced by Euro peans (including the NZRE) and about 1.000 tons by Samoans. I estimate the acreage under cocoa in bearing at about 750 acres European-owned, 250 acres NZRE, and some 2,500 acres Samoan owned.

It is very difficult to give the value (or purchase cost) of cocoa plantations per acre. This depends vefy much on the situation of the plantation—distance to good roads, distance from Apia, presence of water supply necessary for washing the cocoa, possession of a good cocoa dryer, availability of labour (Samoan) for weed ing, nature of soil (prevalence of rocks and depth of humus and good soil)— also, of course, the age of the cocoa.

Young cocoa bears larger crops than old and overaged cocoa.

After taking all these factors into con sideration, a 50-acre cocoa plantation with cocoa in full bearing, should be worth £1,500 to £2,000 (Samoan currency), cor responding to about 6,000 to 7,000 dollars, (American currency). The price paid for hot-air-dried first-grade cocoa beans in Apia is at present £95 per ton of 2,240 lb., and a 50-acres cocoa plantation should produce, if in full bearing, about 25 tons of cocoa beans. The production cost may be estimated at about £35 to £4O per ton, but this also varies and is dependent on many factors. rE greatest problem facing planters in Samoa is labour—the supply of a steady and economic labour force

from outside Samoa. The native, who is a planter and landholder himself, cannot be relied upon as a permanent and satis factory plantation worker for the Euro pean planter.

The future of the cocoa industry de pends largely on the future status and Government of Western Samoa. The present Labour Governments of New Zealand and Australia are against “inden tured labour”—but no development or expansion of our plantation industry will be possible without greatly increased sup plies of dependable labour. If these sup plies had been available before the present war, Western Samoa would have played a far more important part as a source of supply of cocoa, rubber, bananas and maybe other important tropical products.

As it is, the European plantation in dustry is stagnating, and slowly dying.

Editorial Note

STUDENTS of Pacific affairs will note one interesting and significant thing.

By the deliberate policy of the Socialist Government in withholding labour, European planters are being slowly but surely driven out of Samoa.

The Germans, early in the century, planned a healthy Colony of European planters in Upolu and Savaii. The New Zealanders have killed that plan, and are encouraging the native Samoans —a fine branch of the Polynesian race—to themselves become a nation of planters.

According to Mr. Gurau’s figures, the change-over is taking place definitely, and fairly rapidly. Samoans (60,000) and Euronesians (3,500), working on their own lands, will be the cocoa and banana producers of the future.

The next step probably will be seen in the post-war Pacific settlement; Samoans and Euronesians will be given a large measure of self-government.