Western Samoa

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From Our Own Correspondent APIA, July 10. ▲ N acute beer shortage, which \ caused criticism of the Samoan Government’s administration of tie liquor scheme, was partly re eved when the Government re ently imported 200 cartons of .merican canned beer from neigh ouring American Samoa.

A pint can of beer is being sold t 1/8 by the Customs.

The liquor regulations governing tie importation and issue of beer nd spirits will shortly be revised— robably on the basis of the report ibmitted by the recent commission f inquiry into the Liquor Scheme.

The Secretary to the Samoan Gov rnment, Mr. F. J. H. Grattan, left .pia by plane on June 27 to at md a meeting of the UN Trustee tiip Council in New York as special spresentative of the New Zealand rovernment. The meeting held in arly July discussed the report on Western Samoa, and the NZ Gov rnment’s Development Plan.

Dr. J. S. Armstrong, of the amoan Health Department has left Western Samoa after completing his econd term of service in the Ter- Itory.

The repeal of the Trade Debts ►rdinance, 1925, under which amoans could not be legally sued ir trade debts, came into force on uly 1. All debts for goods supplied r money advanced to Samoans by raders will now be recoverable at iw. The measure repealing the rdinance was passed by the Legis itive Assembly at its April session.

Petty thieving and pilfering has mr a long time been prevalent in nd around Apia. Recently, poultry wners in Vaimea district lost nearly 11 their best fowls when some night rowler broke into their properties.

The Police Department later dis- Dvered over 100 head of poultry, in luding imported stock, on the pre mises of a Chinese restaurant eeper. He bought the stolen fowls rom a Samoan for 2/- a head normally fowls fetch some 6/ach). Subsequently, the Samoan ffender was arrested and is await mg trial.

Owners of the stolen fowls were tappy to recover their property still alive) from the Police Station.

A Boy Scouts’ Association has een formed at Apia recently to sup port and assist the Scouting Move ment in Western Samoa. The meet ng at which the new body was ormed was sponsored by the High Commissioner, Mr. R. G. R. Powles.

There are at present four scout troops in Samoa—the Anglican, Pesega, Avele and Marist troops. A strong Committee was elected and Mr. S. Fish, Assistant Director of Education was appointed District Scout Commissioner. Represent atives of the various troops will go to the next Scout jamboree in New Zealand.

Residents of Savu Savu, Vanua Levu, met early in July at the re sidence of the District Officer, Mr.

C. A. A. Hughes, to discuss the formation of a social and sports club there. Proposals put forward by the District Officer met with general support and a committee was formed to consider ways of imple menting them.