American Samoa
pp. 67-69 · Read in the full issue
Gets Another
New Paper
After two weekly newspapers launched last year had fizzled out, American Samoa found it self with two weekly papers again in October when the first issue of the Samoa Times ap peared and the Samoa News, one of the discontinued papers, came to life again.
THE Samoa Times is published by Mr. D. C. (Mike) Kneubuhl and edited by Mr. Alan Reed. Mr.
Kneubuhl was the chief begetter of the second of last year’s discontinued papers, News and Views Bulletin, which appeared in roneoed form and lasted for only about a dozen issues.
The Samoa News, which was dis continued in April, used to be printed in Apia, 90 miles from Pago Pago.
It has reappeared following the ar rival of printing machinery in Pago which enables it to be printed locally.
It sells in American Samoa for 10 cents a copy.
The new Samoa Times, on the other hand, is printed in Apia and sells in both Samoas at 25 cents a copy.
Speaking of the unusually high price in the first issue, the editor said: “We realise this is more than the price charged by other news papers in the Samoas. Unfortunately, the initial problems of producing and distributing a newspaper of this kind require us to start with this price.
“As our circulation increases and we acquire more advertisers, we shall reduce it. In the meantime, you can save almost 50 per cent, of the cost by entering a one-year sub scription for $5.50 . .
The first issues of the paper have comprised eight pages each, with all but about a page of news in English, However, more Samoan news may be provided later, as the first issue advertised for a full-time reporter with a good knowledge of both English and Samoan.
The paper’s first issue gave the impression that plenty of things were happening in American Samoa to keep its reporters busy.
Duty Free Plan Its main report was of a long inter view with Governor H, Rex Lee on the future of American Samoa.
In this, Governor Lee was quoted as saying that he hoped that all import and export duties in the terri tory could eventually be removed so that American Samoa could be a free port area.
“This should both stimulate trade and create new jobs,” he said. “The goal cannot be achieved, however, until we complete our development programme. We must have the facilities necessary to serve such an area and we must have a tax base which produces sufficient funds to pay for a reasonable share of the terri tory’s expenses.”
Governor Lee said that a significant development in American Samoa— the start of a strong tourist trade— was drawing near.
He added: “I think that it is important that we do not try to
Front page of the first issue of American Samoa's new newspaper, the "Samoa Times".
develop mass tourism, as we have neither the area nor the means to maintain great numbers of visitors.
We do have a specialty, however, that will attract a certain type of tourist, much to the benefit of the island economy.
“Whether we are successful in attracting these visitors will depend on the type of facilities which we develop, the type of services that are rendered to them by the people and by the business community, and by the amount of effort we all make to insure success. We will not attract srst-class tourists with third-class Facilities or with neglect of their aeeds.
“Tourism will also rejuvenate the uarket for good native handicrafts, wood carvings, mats and the like.”