Navy Crew for Matua

Essential Goods to be Taken To Island Ports

From Our Own Correspondent

, Apia, May 22.

EWS has now been received that the Matua is to leave Auckland with a Naval crew for an emergency trip to Fiji, Tonga, Niue and Apia to bring

essential foodstuffs. She is expected in Apia on or about June 2.

The New Zealand waterside strike which has continued now for over three months, is adversely affecting Samoa’s export and import trade. The Matua has missed three of her monthly trips and we have been completely cut off from our regular sources of supply in Australia and New Zealand. Apia stores and trading stations all over the Territory are now extremely short of stocks of essential foodstuffs and household goods such as meats, butter, flour, sugar, soap, tobacco and many other goods usually obtained from New Zealand and Australia.

The shortages of sugar and flour were temporarily relieved by the arrival of the SS Eastbank on April 16, with supplies of brown sugar and biscuits from Suva, Fiji and a limited supply of flour trans shipped at Suva. But the acute shortage of refrigerated goods, potatoes and onions is felt by the public which looks forward eagerly to the arrival of much-wanted supplies.

The SS Eastbank lifted about 4,000 tons of copra for the British Ministry of Food and 300 tons of Samoan cocoabeans.

On May 2, the Union S.S. Co. SS Waihemo reached Apia with a cargo of canned fish and lumber from Canada and USA. The Waihemo left Apia on May 5 with 900 tons of copra and about 100 tons of cocoabeans for Auckland via Suva As she had last called at Papeete, Tahiti, where cases of infantile paralysis have occurred, she was placed under strict quarantine and stevedores working the ship were domiciled for some time at the Quarantine Station to prevent contact with the people on shore.

Miss Shirley Mcßae left Sydney for the New Hebrides in May. She will supervise teaching staff of the Presbyterian Mission, Vila.