Tokelau Stamps

And Some Hats

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, July 25.

THE former US Navy minesweeper, “Manua Tele,” owned by the natives of the American Samoan island of Manua, was recently chartered by the Western Samoan Administration. It took a shipment of the new Tokelau Island stamps to the three islands of the Tokelau Island group, which are about 300 miles north of Apia, and had the 115,000 sets of the new issue, mostly on first-day covers, stamped and despatched. This event has caused great interest in phila telic circles all over the world.

Mr. W. J. Taylor, Postmaster, of Apia, made the trip to supervise the transaction and Chief-Medical-Officer, Dr. H. C. Bliss, of Apia, and Secretary of Native Affaiis, Mr. H. J. Grattan, also made the trip on official business.

The bundles of mail were taken through the surf in outrigger canoes, a somewhat risky undertaking in the unfavourable weather prevailing at the time. Large quantities of the new stamp issue have been sold at New Zealand Post Offices.

The “Manua Tele” brought the usual consignment of Tokelau copra on her re turn, for which the islanders were paid the substantial new rate of 30/- per 100 lb. The only other industry in the three islands of the Tokelaus, the manufacture of hats and mats from Pandanus leaves, seems to have been affected by the high price of copra, as the islanders are unwill ing to bother with this sideline. Some hats brought back had increased in price from 7/- per hat to 16/- a hat.