Samoans Have Prosperity

But No Health Sense or Education

AFTER six months as a relieving medical officer in Western Samoa.

Dr. H. D. Livingstone returned to Christchurch, NZ-, in mid-September. H had this to say to a Christchurch “Press” reporter: The NZ Government has done a credit able job in raising living standards in Samoa, thus permitting an increase in the population. But although the popu lation had doubled during NZ’s adminis tration, 47 children out of every 1,000 still died before they were 10 years old. This was mostly due to native reluctance to adopt European health measures. Hook worm, malnutrition and typhoid were common and Samoans were particularly susceptible to influenza.

For the population of 70,000 there were three doctors and 20 native medical practitioners. The other two doctors with whom Dr. Livingstone worked were specialist surgeons who had served in the Indian Army. The native practitioners underwent a four-year course at the Suva medical school.

The hospital was well equipped with X-ray plant, laboratories, and dispensary.

The matron and sisters were recruited from New Zealand, and Samoan girls were trained at the nursing school attached to the hospital. “They do a good job, con sidering their lack of education,” Dr.

Livingstone said.

The average educational attainment of the Samoan was a Standard II education.

Educational and health talks were now broadcast from Samoa’s local radio station, and nearly all the villages had been provided with free radio sets in order to help spread this knowledge among the people.

Dr. Livingstone considered it would be advisable for some of the more intelligent natives to be sent to University in New Zealand, as was being done with the Fijians. Several Fijians had been to Oxford and had since been able to as sume administrative responsibility in their own land.

Speaking of the work of the missions, Dr. Livingstone said that they were very well supported by the native population.

There were 43 churches, some of cathedral proportions, near Apia, and about 10 more were under construction. “Without the missions the natives would probably not produce as much wealth from the country as they do. They have a great incentive to work in order to pay for new church buildings.”

THE Samoan community was very affluent because of the present high world price of cocoa and copra which were their principal exports.

Samoa was at present flooded with American goods. The cost of living was high for Europeans. The average small European family could not live for less than £7O a month.

It should be possible in the next few years to develop a tourist trade in the South Pacific, for Australia and New Zea land, while other tourist routes were virtually closed. Dr, Livingstone consid ered Samoa had the scenery, the recrea tion, and, in the cool months, the climate necessary to attract tourists, but its hotel accommodation needed to be improved and expanded.

At present an effort was being made to raise the general standard of native education in order to train the natives to undertake administrative responsibility in the future, Dr. Livingstone said. But it would appear that they would not be in a position completely to order their own affairs for at least another 10 years.