"Coconut-Cream"

Western Samoa's New Industry Has Been "On the Ice" Since Last October

THE story of Western Samoa’s new coconut - cream industry (May “PIM”), was published about six months after the project was common knowledge in the Territory.

Last October, everyone in Samoa was discussing coconut-cream and the canning thereof for starving Europe; but it still was a State secret, Mr. Dawrant was not talking—and least of all to the press.

It appeared that negotiations had reached a delicate stage and that any sudden publicity was “undesirable.”

Mr. Dawrant arrived by plane from New Zealand, went the rounds of the Big Firms explaining his project and assuring them that his company would not inter fere in their operations—that the new company would, in fact, buy all their nuts (which were to be grown by the Samoans themselves) from the Big Firms’ trading stations.

At this stage the Administrator (Sir Alfred Turnbull, since retired) arranged a meeting between Mr. Dawrant and the Samoan political leaders.

The political leaders received Mr.

Dawrant’s plan enthusiastically; but, they said, in effect, no middlemen! No Big Firms! They would sell the nuts (which have to be mature, and husked) direct to the factory—transport and collection to be done by the Adminis tration through its practically non existent Agricultural Department. The Samoans thereby would receive full benefit of the suggested stabilised price of the coconuts —less what the Adminis tration charged them for transport, etc.

If affairs were not arranged thus, then the Samoans would boycott the embryo industry.

In a sentence, the Samoans got their way; and Mr. Dawrant, during the re mainder of his preliminary visit to Western Samoa, had to walk warily. It was felt that premature news of how the scheme was to be worked would be ask ing for trouble from the large copra in terests who, robbed of some part of their copra trade, may also have been disposed towards raising obstacles.

MANY people asked: “Of all the copra producing countries in the world, why pick Western Samoa, any how?”

The answer seems to be that the New Zealand Government was prepared to god-father the scheme (the factory is to be erected on Reparation Estates pro perty) and that a supply of nuts was guaranteed. It is estimated that about 5,000 tons of coconuts per annum will be converted to “cream” —this represents about half of the normal production of the Territory.

If the new factory can swing quickly into production, the cream should be of inestimable benefit ,to starving Europe, whose great need is fat; and if the Samoaps can continue to provide the factory with all its coconut needs, it should be of benefit to the Territory itself.

However, if the cream continues to be in demand in Europe after dairy supplies have returned to normal; and if the cream is as good a substitute for the product of the cow as is claimed for it, sooner or later there are going to be howls from the dairy farmers of Aus tralasia. In the past, their anguish over the ever-improving quality of margarine has been acute, and once the world is again well fed, it’s a guinea to a goose berry that they will raise their voices against coconut-cream —or anything else that is likely to whittle down their profits.

But that era of plenty is still a long way off and, in the meantime, Western Samoa’s new industry has the good wishes of everyone with mankind’s in

terests 3t heart-

T.

At present in Suva, is Mr. D. J. Cmik shank, who has been loaned to the Fiji Government by the New Zealand Depart ment of Census and Statistics. Mr.

Cruikshank will advise the Fiji Govern ment on the census that is to be taken in the Colony later this year. He expects to remain in Fiji for about three months.