Last Chinese Go From Samoa

End of a Long Period of Forced Repatriation

THE last party of indentured Chinese labourers, numbering 126, has been repatriated from Western Samoa by the British ship “Yunnan.” The remaining 159 of the 2,000-odd Chinese who were there when New Zealand took over the Territory from Germany, have been per mitted to remain.

Chinese indentured labourers and Mel anesians from the Solomons were brought in to Western Samoa by the Germans for plantation work which Samoans or Euronesians would do. Both Chinese and Melanesians liked Samoa and married freely with Samoans. They were consequently reluctant to return home.

When Samoa was given to New Zea land as a Mandated Territory, a rigor ous policy of repatriation was carried out.

In the first 15 years all but 80 of the original 1,000 Melanesians had been sent home and all but 700 Chinese.

When the present New Zealand labour Government came to power in 1936, it an nounced that the remainder of the Chinese would be repatriated without fear or favour. And, despite vigorous protests by planters and traders, they were sent home, by the boat-load. When war broke out in 1939, about 300 still remained. The war, and consequent lack of shipping, gave these men a reprieve of almost 10 years and provided some sort of labour force for a rapidly dwindling number of Euro pean planters.

The labour problem in Western Samoa is worse to-day than ever. Samoans are violently opposed to taking regular work of this kind and it is estimated that less than three per cent, are so employed.

However, the New Zealand Government apparently feels that by banishing the last of the Territory’s small labour force “for social and economic reasons” they are keeping Samoa safe for the Samoans.

The 72 Melanesians who still remain in the Territory are employed by the New Zealand Reparation Estates —a Govern ment concern.