Stealing In Samoa Has Now Reached

Epidemic Proportions

APIA. June 18 One of the most frequent topics of conversation amongst Europeans and Samoans during recent months has been the astonishing increase in thefts, and particularly plan tation thefts, in all parts of the Territory. Government plantations, European and Samoan planters are all equally affected by this pheno menon which has assumed the character of an epidemic.

The High Commissioner, at the last Session of the Western Samoan Legislative Assembly commented on this fact and stressed the adverse effect which the plantation thefts exercise on the agricultural pro duction of the country. His words, which were understood by the As sembly to put the blame on the whole of the Samoan population, were objected to by the Assembly, though the discouraging effect of these wholesale plantation (thefts was not denied.

A recent shortage of Samoan foodstuffs, bananas, taros, yams etc. and a temporary shortage of flour and rice, has made matters worse.

But it is not only Samoan food stuffs which are stolen, but copra and cocoa also and the number of police prosecutions has increased enormously. The number of pris

oners at the Vaimea and Tafaigata prisons has, since April, of this year risen by approximately 50 per cent.

It is impossible for the Samoan Police Force, limited in numbers and mostly concentrated in Apia, to effectively guard plantations in the outside districts of Upolu and Savaii.

It is not even possible to cope with all the reports of petty plantation thefts reaching the Police. There fore some other means must be found to put an end to a situation which threatens Samoan society and discourages the industrious and hard working majority of the Sa moan people from extending agri cultural cultivation and particularly the planting of bananas and taros, considered essential in view of the large population increase of the last few years.

Many remedies have been sug gested. One is that landless and workless young Samoans should be encouraged to migrate to NZ. An other is to increase the powers and authority of the village councils of chiefs who should be given the right to control and punish offenders against property rights on the spot without reference to the central authorities, the Police and High Court in Apia.

It is doubtful whether either of

these means would be successful.

But something has to be done. No such problem exists in the neigh bouring territories like Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands. And old timers here remember ruefully the good old times, (which economically were not as good as now) when thieving was extremely rare, when Europeans and Samoans could leave their homes for days and weeks

without caretakers and on their return find nothing missing.

The missions are doing their best to influence their adherents in the right direction. But so far their efforts have not been crowned with noticeable success, nor have the ad monitions of Samoan leaders had any effect on the criminal tenden

cies of the younger section.

The Samoans have always been liked and admired for their many good qualities—their hospitality, their friendliness, their cleanliness, their intelligence and their firm adherence to their churches. It can only be hoped that they will gradually recognise the error of

their present ways and that their previous level of morality will soon be re-established.

Editorial Note

The psychologists probably have a word for this post-war spasm of hooliganism which has affected other countries than Samoa—although not others in the South Seas.

Western Samoa’s criminal epidemic has mounted steadily since the Pacific war and probably has its roots in that period of instability with its US invasion and easy dollars.

But the post-war growth of crime is all the more remarkable in Samoa’s case because it has occurred at a period of unparallelled prosperity in the Territory.

Local and NZ Administration must shoulder most of the blame for letting the growth go unchecked.

Mission influence and community dis approval can help in stamping out the evil but the only real remedy is enforce ment of the law and, for the wrong-doers, punishment sufficiently severe to impress them and deter others.

Readers will remember the 30 NZ policemen who were flown into the Cook Islands a few years ago and the salutary effect they had on industrial squabbles there. If affairs in Samoa are as bad as indicated above, some of the same treatment might be a good thing.

Until the Western Samoans can be re garded as a close-knit, disciplined and law-abiding community, their very real and understandable desire for complete political self-determination cannot be taken very seriously.