Test Their Suspicions

The West Samoan Scene

Banana grousers Can now Test Their Suspicions

The banana industry in Samoa received a boost in April with the announcement of a price increase later in the year, and advice of a gift from Fruit Distributors Ltd. of a pilot cool store and ripening plant to be erected in Apia.

HHE installation of a cool store L and ripening plant will enable the spot observation to be made the storing and ripening laviour of Samoan bananas pro zed under various conditions of 1, fertiliser and disease treatment,” d Mr. I. Franklin, Apia manager Fruit Distributors Ltd., who have Government granted monopoly on i importation of bananas into New aland.

Like all primary producers far re ived from their market, Samoan lana growers always treat with picion reports that their fruit has ched New Zealand in poor con ion. Now they will be able to nove random cases from ship nts and ripen them under identical iditions as the shipment and see ■ themselves the storage behaviour their fruit and the damaging ;cts of sap staining and bruising. \nd like most primary producers, noan growers feel they have not tn getting enough from the sale bananas which are still the :apest fruit on the New Zealand rket. In discussions between binet and Fruit Distributors, which re clouded under the usual oud of secrecy, Samoa reportedly ed for an increase of 5/- a case in the end accepted Fruit Distri ors counter offer of 2/- a case m August 1 to December 6. At present time f.o.b. price is 23/- :ase with growers receiving about f 6. The increase will apply to same period in future years until urther review is made. ‘The purpose of the increase is encourage further development of Samoan banana trade and to :ourage production during the iod in New Zealand when there little other fresh fruit available, i there is a very keen demand bananas,” said Mr. Franklin, fhis price increase could result growers earning an extra £30,000 h year. Total exports for the t six months of 1959 totalled

300,000 cases; 1960, 280,000 cases; and 1961, 254,000 cases. With more favourable weather, near record ship ments are expected this year. * * *

Overseas Representation

THE Minister of Health, Hon.

Tufuga Fatu, leaves by air on April 29 to attend the WHO con ference in Geneva early in May. He is travelling at the invitation of WHO and the fare of over £6OO is being met by that organisation.

The purpose of his trip is to present the application of the Samoan Gov ernment for membership of the World Health Organisation. If the

A round-up of events in the independent State of Western Samoa, from PIAA's Apia correspondent.

application is accepted, the con ference will forward recommenda tion to the General Assembly of the United Nations for their formal approval.

Secretary to the Government, Mr.

H. A. Levestam, explained that it was necessary to belong to a specialised agency of the United Nations before a country could be come eligible for United Nations aid.

“Having regard to the close as sociation Samoa has had with WHO for a number of years, it is natural that this should be the specialised agency Samoa would like to join,” he said.

Several years ago WHO com pleted a successful campaign against yaws in Samoa and a WHO specialist.

Dr. Han, is currently co-operating with the Health Department in a campaign against tuberculosis. (Ov-r)

While the Minister of Health pr pares for his trip and a number similar trips are in the offing, son criticism has been voiced that tl Government is not making the me of these opportunities in gaining ne knowledge and valuable experience Many were surprised to learn th Samoa’s representative to the i cently concluded South Pad] Economic Development conferen was none other than Mrs. Feta Mataafa. wife of the Prime Minisb She caught the last three days the conference after attending church conference held in Noum at the same time (see below).

With the Budget coming u Minister of Finance Hon. G. F. ] Betham, and Financial Secretary Heller, were too busy to alter Few people would question that Mi Mataafa is a leading feminine i fluence in the country, but, mai claim, the country would have be better served by the presence at t conference by one or two of t more knowledgeable members of t Legislative Assembly. Most obvio choice would have been Chairman the Accounts Committee, Afoafouva Misimoa (Mr. Harry Moors), others of his committee.

Final decision on who makes the trips reportedly rests upon the Prir Minister. * * *

No Moonlight Romances

ARE the churches playing an i creasingly positive role in tl lives of people throughout tl Pacific? Definitely yes, says Mi Fetaui Mataafa, wife of Samoa Prime Minister, after returning fro Noumea.

She attended the second meetii of the Continuation Committee s up by the Conference of Church and Missions held at Malua, Westei Samoa last year. The Committ will meet once a year for five yea to carry out the resolutions of tl Conference and to consider furth problems raised at Malua, and p forward recommendations.

“One of the Conference resol tions was to investigate further tl weaknesses of the ministry,” said Mi Mataafa. “The Committee decid< that the immediate problem lies the lack of devotional life in tl ministry and recommended a freshe ing up of devotional life by holdii more retreats and giving great opportunity for devotional develo ment.”

Another of the problems discuss*

Noumea was the relationship of rism to the Church in the Pacific, eport from an investigating corn tee on tourism in Tahiti was dis ;ed at the meeting. Recommenda s made were that tourist litera i should be closer to reality, with emphasis on the “moonlight romance”. It was also suggested churches make provision for •ists to share in worship if they lesire.

We try to approach these things n the positive side,” said Mrs. ;aafa. * * *

Rld Earthquake Warnings

SEISMOLOGIST of the United States Coast and Geodetic /ey Department, Mr. J. N. lan, is visiting Samoa in con ion with the installation of ultra itive seismographic instruments ffiamalu, in the hills behind Apia, i part of a world wide network to ird and analyse earthquakes, ilar instruments are being in ed at 125 stations in 65 countries islands to provide the first precise brm data scientists have had on nature, location and frequency earthquakes. le said that Afiamalu is expected be the best oceanic station in world, being situated high up on e solid rock and away from rference by wave action that :ts most island seismographs, will be one of the most signi it stations in the world for itivity”, he said. busing for the equipment is jcted to be completed by May er the supervision of Mr. G. es, observer-in-charge at Mulinuu wvatory. The 4,000 lb consign it of the seismic instruments then be from the ted States to be installed by two erican geophysicists. The equip it, worth about $40,000, is being ded over by the United States to New Zealand and Samoan Gov nents. he data collected from the 125 ons will be collated at Washing where it will be stored on rofilm. “There will be a com ely free exchange of informa ”, said Mr. Jordan, “and scientists n any country in the world will welcome to use our records”.

The results hoped for from the em are warnings of earthquakes seismic ocean waves,” he added. * * * econded officers in Western 10a, mostly New Zealanders, have lly formed their own association, ’s called the Western Samoa rseas Officers’ Association. The

aims are to “co-operate with the Government of Western Samoa in promoting the efficiency and status of the overseas officers” and “to promote the general wellbeing of members”.

The association is open to all officers domiciled overseas and has a membership of about 80. Chairman is Mr. J. H. Robinson, and sec retary is Mr. K. F. W. Smith.

The association is at present engaged in a vigorous campaign against new Customs laws in New Zealand. These would cause heavy losses to seconded officers, who would have to pay prohibitive duty on cars purchased in Samoa and taken back with them to New Zealand on completion of their term. ♦ * ♦ After a very successful tour of Samoa, the Waikato Maori Rugby Team returned to New Zealand on April 8. The team had five matches —losing two, drawing two and winning one. They lost to a Town Fifteen 8-9, beat Saleimo 15-0, drew with Colts 5-all, lost to a Country Fifteen 12-13 and drew with Samoa 3-all. The Maori team was the most popular team ever to visit Samoa and visits between Samoa and Waikato are almost certain to be come regular fixtures.

Speaking of the tour, Maori Captain M. Raureti, who toured Samoa in 1960 with the Maori All Blacks, said the standard of Samoan rugby since then had improved at least 50 per cent.

“Now the players know what they are doing and there is a pattern to their play. They are playing more constructive football,” he said. He thought that Samoan players centre Keli Tuatagaloa and half back Pulusila Muagututia were out standing.

One pleasing aspect was the almost total absence of dirty play through out the tour. * * * A handsome addition to Apia’s growing fleet of small craft was made in April with the launching of local businessman Vernon MacKenzie’s newly completed 19ft. V-bottom out board motor boat. The first kit set ever assembled in Samoa, the boat was supplied from New York and is built of marine ply. It is powered by a Mercury 50-hp motor and is capable of 25 knots, which is fast enough for anybody. It was built over the last six months by Mr. Mac- Kenzie and Superintendent of Police Alphonse Philipp. On its first trip the party caught 15 bonito. “It be haves perfectly,” said the happy owner.