Future Of Western
p. 94 · Read in the full issue
Samoa
SINCE New Zealand took over Western Samoa from the Ger mans in 1914, the Territory, both politically and economically, has slowly reverted to the Samoans.
In 1914, there were some 600 f Europeans there, with perhaps 1,0001 Euronesians and 35,000 Samoans.* The administration was wholly!
European. To-day, there are only! 200 Europeans there (with 5,0001 Euronesians and 75,000 Samoans) j and the administration is about 751 per cent. Samoan.
The NZ Department of Islands!
Territories now apparently is plan-] ning a more definite economic policy] regarding this valuable group. It has asked the South Pacific Commission to prepare for an economic survey; of Western Samoa and the Deputy Chairman of the Research Council (Dr. Ojala) says it should be carried] out in stages.
The first one could be an economic stocktaking, based mainly on known information about soils and crops, population trends, production trends, external trades, prices, wages, invest ment and the results of the agricul tural census. “An economic survey of this kind would be expected to indicate the priorities in economic development, and might also bring out the significance for Western Samoa of more detailed studies of the land and other resources of the territory as later stages of the economic survey,” added Dr. Ojala,