Britain

W. Samoa Kicks

Extraordinary Discourtesy

By NZ Government

A LTHOUGH the New Zealand rx Government was instrumental in bringing about the abolition f the British Preferential Tariff n its apnlication to Western Samoa, and although an official nnouncement to that effect was riade in New York on July 8 by Ir. L. K. Munro (NZ’s representa- Ive at UNO), no formal announce ment of the change was made by IZ.

Until the NZ Government was nterrogated, and a belated state ment made late in October, the Jnited Kingdom, New Zealand and Australian trading interests were ompletely unaware of what had een done.

The latter consider they have een treated with indifference and iscourtesy by the NZ Government, nd are making a protest accord antly.

The NZ Government says bolition of the Tariff came about ecause a Select Committee, which xamined the proposal, found that i was wanted by the Samoan eople and it made the recom lendaticn accordingly. Western lamoa trade is now open to all ountries.

The merchants concerned say bat NZ might at least have onsulted them before making the hange, and that a very short ighted view has been taken. They ay that the British countries, biich purchase most of Samoa’s xports, and provide Samoa’s sea nd air communications, deserve reater consideration. They point m the UK copra contract and the FZ banana market, and point out bat the removal of the Tariff may ow cause a serious disturbance of be balance of trade. They wonder blether Samoa has given con ideration to the effects of a trade ecession, which may now develop.

Samoan traders (they say) in beir anxiety to enjoy the quick rofits that foreign markets may or a time provide, might find bemselves cut off from these Dreign connections—and their old stablished British connections estroyed. They might also find, bth their encouragement of out ide shipping lines, that the line bat has served them best for many ears may be forced to further rC uce its services through shortage f cargoes.

Latest Samoan Trade figures bow the following trade situation i 1952:

The Preferential Tariff is scheduled to come to an end next March. It is hoped that before then the Samoan Administration and the New Zealand Government

will have given the subject some more sober thought.

54,162 Canada 429 59,764 Fiji 3,100 21,914 India — 410,411 UK 1,267,454 224,315

Usa

268,301 201,607 Others 7,295 1,687,790 Total 1,778,084

mports from: Exports to: £ £ 336,755 NZ 190,459 378,862 Aust. 41,046