Swains’ Headache

Labour Problem for an old Family

S WAINS ISLAND, northern outlier of American Samoa, has been experiencing some unrest of late.

The 800-acres island, which has belonged to the Jennings family since 1856, has a population of about 150. They were originally brought from Fakaofu, in the nearby British Tokelau s. Swains is geographically one of the Tokelaus, but was declared American Terri tory in 1925.

The population is employed by the Jennings family, making copra on a daily task basis. Some of these people are now claiming squatter's’ rights to the land on which they live. They are reluctant to work for Jennings, and he consequently wishes to return them to the Tokelaus and replace them with other people there, who are said to be keen to work on Swains. Some claim that the daily task is ex cessive.

An American Samoan Govern ment party recently journeyed to Swains to discuss the problem. They carried out a test of the daily task and found that the 200 nuts which have to be cut per man per day, could in fact be cut in from 48 to 90 minutes by the men employed on the test.

At present the island is produc ing only 200 tons of copra per annum. Jennings considers that at least 350 tons could be produced by willing labour. Nuts lie sprout ing under the trees.

The problem of squatters’ rights seems more complicated. Legally, it seems that Jennings must re move the people from his land for one day per year, in order to re tain his clear title. But where can he rempve them to? Swains is 100 miles from Fakaofu and 200 miles from the nearest American territory, Tutuila.

Could they be taken for a 24hours’ cruise on the high seas, to meet legal requirements? Even if they could, the chartering of a vessel would cost a great deal. Pre sumably, all their goods and chattels must also be removed from the island for that 24-hours’ period.

Meanwhile, the legal men have returned to Pago Pago to ponder

on a knotty problem.

Netherlands industrial and com mercial interests have established a “New Guinea Institute,” which

aims at furthering knowledge about

Netherlands New Guinea, and also at improving the economic ties be tween Holland and Western New Guinea.